Reflections from Philadelphia: Jessica Green

Phew! It is hard to believe it has been two months since I headed back to Rocky Top from the City of Brotherly Love. I am so thankful for the Golden Key International Honor Society and the opportunity they gave me to attend this year’s annual conference!

I must say…after a full week of travel, connections with friends new and old, pages of notes from fantastic educational sessions, and great volunteering experiences, the introvert in me was ready for a long ride home so I could reflect on the whirlwind of events. As I look back at different aspects of my experience in Philly, I’d like to share how my goals were achieved, along with some extra incites I learned in the process:

Musings on the Annual NASPA Conference 2011 (Part 2)

For my last blog post about the conference, I thought that I would share you a top five list of my favorite things about attending Annual NASPA Conference.

1. Making friends with the NUFP Fellows and exploring Philadelphia with them
2. LBGTQ Knowledge Community Meetings and Socials—if you aren’t a part of a KC, you should definitely consider it. I even met a NUFP liaison there who is willing to help me with my grad school applications.
3. Favorite Sessions—Developing White Allies on Campus & Masculinities in Higher Education completely validated my activism and advocacy on campus and cemented my desire to work for queer and trans students on campus
4. NUFP Pre-Conference Workshop—the Q&A session with current professionals was so powerful and touching that it made me tear up a little
5. Regional and Collegial Receptions—free food and conversation! My favorite was by far the Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI) Reception.

It was truly a blessing to be a part of the conference as an undergraduate, and I covet this experience as life-changing. This is only the beginning for me, and I just want to thank everyone who has helped bring me to this point and helped me realize that Student Affairs was the field I wanted to be in. See you all in the future!

Discovering Myself in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love: Grace Kim

It’s been about a month and a half since I have left Philadelphia and I still catch myself processing many different parts of the conference in my mind.  It was an amazing time in such a unique city and it is all still sinking in.  My experience at my first NASPA annual conference was nothing short of awesome.

I took part in The Placement Exchange a few days before the conference started and that was a story all its own.  I expected to feel very overwhelmed; however, it was the opposite!  The TPE staff and all the candidates were all very supportive and encouraging.  I remember sitting in one of the waiting areas for an interview and feeling a little queasy because of the strong silence.  Fortunately, one of the interviewers did an impromptu song and dance which made everyone laugh and relax!  I walked through the interview rooms and the candidate resource rooms and thought, “How does this all happen?” “It is so organized!”  I got a behind the scenes tour and was able to volunteer some time as a greeter to the candidate resource room.  Standing there for only a few short hours, I soon realized that there were many candidates there for one purpose: To find a golden opportunity for their future.  As candidates entered and exited the room, I tried my best to be cheerful and ask how their days were going.  One candidate appeared to be very emotional and told me they were really stressed out.  It was a great opportunity to encourage her and share with her that I was feeling the same way!  I’m crossing my fingers for an on campus interview, however, if that doesn’t happen, I am still grateful for the opportunity to have met new friends and practice for future interviews.

Scratching the Surface . . . and So Much More!: Kristen Emery

Wow! What a whirlwind of a month March had been!  The NASPA 2011 conference was a wonderful opportunity and I am so incredibly thankful to have been able to participate in the sessions, networking opportunities, and social gatherings that I did! I flew to Philadelphia knowing that I wanted to be a sponge and thus came prepared to soak in all of the new experiences that I would encounter.  It was my first NASPA conference, my first trip to Philly, my first time presenting at NASPA, and my first time volunteering at NASPA.  In planning out goals for my first NASPA conference, I wanted to network with others, learn about best practices –particularly in terms of Student Affairs and faculty professional development, and gain feedback about my presentations. I am thrilled with the information that I was able to take away from Student Affairs professionals, students, and others with regards to my two presentations  “Faces and Spaces: Combating Native American ‘Transfer Swirl’” and “Family ties: A Holistic Approach to Native Student Success.”

Cheese Steaks, Biscuits, Mouth Watering Cookies and Oh! NASPA.: Caroline DeLeon

Ohh the City of Brotherly Love! Never will my life be the same without some delicious baked goods from the Mennonites at the Reading Terminal. To sum up my first NASPA conference experience in one world: MEMORABLE. The few short days I spent in Philadelphia, they were filled with meeting new friends, touching base with classmates, and reminiscing with old friends. All in all, a great blend to make a memorable experience.

Returning from NASPA: Marlenee Blas

As a NUFP, I have to say that the NASPA 2011 conference has been a highlight of my undergraduate career.  I was humbled by the experience of meeting so many wonderful people in the field, and was enlightened at the many sessions I attended. My goal was to enjoy the conference and to learn as much as I could  at this conference. I think I did both and even more than I had planned for at the beginning.

Farewell Philly, Cannot Wait Until ‘Zona!: Janna Bernstein

Inspiring. Amazing.  Reflective.  Passionate.  Life-Changing. These are just some of the words that came to my mind as I embraced the experience of a lifetime! I remember walking onto the bus to Temple University for the NUFP/SALT Pre-Conference wondering, “What Am I Getting Myself Into?”  Yet, as soon as I sat down on the bus, I felt myself come alive and could feel the passion for Student Affairs in the air.  It was truly notable- I was on the bus with my future peers, my future colleagues.

An Experience Like No Other – NASPA 2011: Jonathan Hurt

Let me just begin this blog by stating, “Wow, what an experience”.  I went into NASPA 2011 not knowing what to expect but knowing that I wanted to grow as a student affairs professional.  I went into the annual conference in transition as I am completing my Higher Education Administration master’s program at the University of Alabama.  I was looking for professional development, employment opportunities, and the chance to build my professional network while at NASPA 2011.  With that being said I did my best to have my eyes, mind, and heart open so that I could have them filled while I was in Philadelphia.  Let me tell you that as a result of my experience that my goals were fulfilled and then some and my cup (eyes, mind etc. you get the metaphor) overflowed.  Not only that but the relationships that I built with other NASPA Golden Key Scholarship winners and professionals at the conference made me understand why I love the student affairs profession so much and I why I choose this path.  The smiles, knowledge, and support that these new and established professionals provided me during my five days in Philadelphia were definitely the highlight of my conference.

Pondering Purpose in Pennsylvania: Jessica Green

During the NASPA Opening Session, President of University of Miami, Donna Shalala said,
“Our job is to help students achieve their dreams and that those dreams go beyond
material acquisition.”
That statement stuck with me throughout the week at NASPA as I attended multiple sessions that related to the conference theme, Educating for Lives of Purpose.

Tuesday morning when I attended Drs. Alexander and Helen Astin’s session, How College Can Enhance Students’ Search for Meaning and Purpose. In this session, the Astins’ shared their research findings from a 7 year study of undergraduates about how students engage in a quest for spirituality during college. Again, I was moved by several specific statements:

• More than half of college students say finding their purpose in life is a very important part of their college education.
• Students expect college to facilitate their spiritual quest.
• 6 in 10 students say that professors never encourage spiritual conversation or conversations about meaning and purpose.
• Our academic work has ignored and possibly inhibited students’ exploration of purpose and meaning.

As I made note of these specific statements, I recalled that my own career aspirations were inherently tied to my spirituality and search for meaning. I could not consider one without the other. Therefore it was my own search for purpose and meaning that lead me to the field of student affairs. I did not choose this field lightly, but with deep consideration that my calling lies in helping students find their purpose and passion.

Now only one year into my graduate program, I don’t think I had completely forgotten that but it certainly has not been in the forefront of my mind. Nonetheless, my own academic work has allowed me to forget the spiritual element that lead me to this profession in the first place. With this realization, I was reminded 1) of the origins of my purpose and calling to the field of student affairs and 2) that if I ever want students to “achieve dreams that go beyond material acquisition”, I must serve students holistically by encouraging and engaging them in conversations of spirituality, religion, and quest for meaning.

Musings on the Annual NASPA Conference 2011 (Part 1): Roman Christiaens

April 9, 2011

It has been approximately 25 days since I entered the Philadelphia Airport, said goodbye to all of the connections and friends I made at the conference, and flew back home to Seattle. And since then, it’s been a crazy ride. I came home to 30 yet-to-be-written pages of papers for our Winter Quarter finals, a 40-hour work week for Spring Break and plenty of planning to do around future club events. It seems as if I have barely had time to sit down and process everything about the conference. I keep telling everyone I know that it was a phenomenal experience, merely because I don’t know how else to put it into words. The one thing I know for sure is that my attendance at the conference cemented by passion for students affairs; I know now what my purpose and future vocation is, and I cannot wait to begin graduate school in a few years.