Mission Statement

Daniel L. Nash

College of Education, Seattle University

SDAD 5900: Winter Capstone

Dr. Paige Gardner

January 18, 2024

 Mission Statement

I am a creator-practitioner. I bring my background in journalism and visual arts to my

work in Student Affairs, and these experiences inform me as a professional and a whole person.

Creativity is a means of connecting with students, a means of helping others find well-being, and

a shelter from an increasingly distracted environment in higher education. While creativity can

also benefit the development of student programming, its chief benefit is not as an exploitable

resource for the workplace—and a creative using their abilities in this way will find they quickly

reach their limits. Creativity’s benefit arrives sideways, in the form of the creator’s fearlessness

—the will to try something new and potentially fail.

I am a practitioner with integrity. Student affairs calls me to work with students from all

walks of life, and to help these students learn to work together. When the team’s bonds break

down at any level, it’s my job to create an environment that makes it easier for everyone’s better

angels to prevail. The fair treatment of students is always paramount, even—and perhaps

especially—when it’s difficult. Through program procedures, the settings I create, and the words

that I use, I contribute to a healthy balance of students’ individual rights and the greater good of

the student team.

I am a problem solving-practitioner. My lifelong fascination with puzzles and games has

oriented me toward finding solutions to all challenges in my environment. I enjoy the process of

losing myself in a thorny problem, and the thrill of a breakthrough. This trait is not a panacea,

and I temper my problem-solving skills with an appreciation of the ambiguities that are beyond

pat solutions, and the knowledge that I must ensure I sit back often, so that students have the

opportunity to address their own challenges and grow.

 With these values in mind, I seek to help my students understand the great well of resolve

that exists inside of themselves. They can learn that creativity is a practice, not a gift—and

putting their ideas to the test in real-world conditions is an opportunity. They can weigh the

ethics of a situation before acting. And they can surprise themselves with how much they can

solve with a little focus and time.