Professional Aspirations Statement

My path to the field of Student Affairs was anything but linear. While students around
me were declaring their majors, I found myself unable to find a connection between my passions.
When my career advisor asked the simple, yet not so simple question of what do I enjoy doing, I
rambled on about my involvement with the College Programming Board, Greek Life, and the
Office of Admissions. It was at this point that I stumbled on the field of Student Affairs and I
have not looked back since.
My philosophy on higher education is that there is more to college than just attending
class. College is about finding oneself, having a sense of community, preparing for the future,
creating memories, developing lifelong friendships, and most of all, learning and growing. My
college experience is the reason I want to pursue a career in Student Affairs. From an
apprehensive girl whose smile broke and voice quivered as she said goodbye to her parents on
move-in day to being named a Ramapo College Success Story, as a Student Affairs professional,
I want to help students facilitate the transformation that I have seen in myself.
Administrators in Higher Education are tasked with the responsibility of looking out for
the best interests of a diverse student body. Regardless of whether a student is a finance major or
a theater major, a resident or a commuter, a first-year student or a senior, the priorities and
mission of administrators must lie in the fact that just as each student is unique, each collegiate
journey is too. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the work that Student Affairs
professionals do.
I was fortunate enough to obtain my first full-time position in the field of Student Affairs
this past August. In serving as the International Student Services Coordinator with the Office of
International Engagement at Montclair State University, I am responsible for advising
international, sponsored, visiting, and exchange students regarding academics, housing, health
insurance, financial support, employment, and taxes. I also plan, oversee, and assess social
programs, celebrations of American holidays, off-campus excursions, and Orientation and
Welcome Week. Like the field of Student Affairs itself, I stumbled upon working with the
international student population, but the work is so incredibly rewarding. Down the road, I hope
to move into a managerial role and work towards my doctorate, with the hopes of becoming an
adjunct faculty member and eventually a tenure-track professor. At this point in time, I
continuously submit proposals to conferences to advance my professional development and grow
my network. Because I am new to this department, in the spring, I will be attending the NAFSA
Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. to learn from other international educators how to best
support my students. These professional development opportunities supplement the knowledge
base I have gained from my graduate studies at Montclair State University.
The Educational Leadership Higher Education program at Montclair State University
certainly prepared me for my first job in the field and I find myself utilizing what I learned each
and every day. Action Research helped me with assessment, Consultations taught me about
consulting work, Internship prepared me for working in the field, Law provided me with a
knowledge base on ethics and legal issues, Community Colleges prepared me for working with
transfer students, Finance taught me how to effectively manage a budget, Supervision prepared
me for supervising student employees, Systems opened my eyes to the many divisions and
dimensions within Higher Education, Leadership helped me to identify my personal leadership
style, and Program Planning taught me about key performance indicators and strategic planning.
With only Group Dynamics and Capstone left, I am eager to learn about facilitating groups and
PROFESSIONAL ASPIRATIONS 2

career development for new professionals, respectively. All in all, this graduate program and its
faculty have not only helped to prepare me for my present job in the field, but also for a future
administrative role or faculty position, all the while helping each individual student to facilitate a
unique collegiate experience, just as was done for me.