2020

When reflecting back on the individual courses, internships, and the program as a whole, the most powerful and developmental component of this program has been the interactions with other people. Students progressing through the program and developing, faculty who are incredible leaders and facilitators, and practicum hosts who take the time to teach skills and impart knowledge have been the most influential component of growth for me as a student and future administrator. The course, the readings, and the discussions facilitated in class were the next key component that contributed to my personal and professional development throughout this program; however, the theories and scenarios discussed in this setting were brought to life by the policy and practice of the people I have met during the course of this program.  Several themes presented themselves throughout this program, especially when courses are clustered. Three themes include but are not limited to leadership, financial and legal accountability, and diversity, multiculturalism and internationalization. These themes stood out the most to me and influenced my practicum decisions and educational paths within the context of the program and also exiting the program and developing a career path. The theme of leadership was perhaps overall the most dominant and influential theme which permeated the core of the program. Individuals within the institution ranging from faculty and administers to staff and students each have unique and different leadership styles for better or worse. After taking College Student Development with Dr. Jennifer Kulics and seeing her passion for leadership, and then taking the Leadership in Higher Education course with Dr. Susan Iverson this theme of leadership and different leadership styles became an area that I was very passionate about and maintained that passion as I have progressed through the program. The particular leadership style that stood out the most to me was the style of transformational leadership as discussed by Adriana Kezzar. This style of leadership is built on sharing information, empowering others, working well with groups and individually, and creating action that transforms institutions for the better. At one point in the leadership course, I was asked to write a “This I Believe Statement”. Although this was a short one page statement, the power of this personal statement still resonates with me today. These two professors and their course helped me learn where I was at developmentally as a student and where I wanted to go developmentally as a leader.  The next powerful theme that resonated with me throughout the program is the theme of both legal and financial accountability. Through Dr. Thomas’s Higher Education Law and Employment Law, Dr. Kretovics’s Business Administration in Higher Education, and Dr. Tudor’s Finance in Higher Education, the theme of accountability was easily recognizable. The law courses served as a means for learning how administrators are affected by laws and how these laws serve as a means to protect all students, staff, faculty and administrators within the university. Administrators are put in the position to make many decisions which could have legal consequences and implications for the university and being aware of federal, state, constitutional and statutory laws can help to guide decisions made by university administrators. The business course taught by Dr. Kretovics and Dr. Tudor offered tremendous insight to financial accountability as well as financial strife and decisions faced by administrators in higher education. These course inspired me to pursue a practicum in Fiscal Affairs in the department of Residence Services at Kent State University. Through this practicum I had the opportunity to gain hands on experience with Responsibility Centered Management and basic accounting and financial principles. These courses and this practicum inspired a passion for the concept and practice of self sustainability in higher education institutions. Development and Alumni Relations are becoming increasingly important as means of bringing money into the institution because as institutions bring in their own funds, they become less dependent on declining federal funding.  The third theme that was influential in my development throughout this program is the theme of diversity, multiculturalism, and internationalization. These areas are different in practice and policy but combined from a theoretical perspective offer tremendous insight to the direction in which higher education institutions are headed. Through Dr. Huhn’s Administration of Diversity and Multiculturalism in Higher Education, Dr. Merrill’s Internationalization of Higher Education, and Dr. Cushner’s Intercultural and International Teaching and Learning course, the areas of international advancement and intercultural competence become a passionate area of study. My undergraduate degree was in International Relations and these courses gave me a chance to expand on knowledge gained in undergraduate school. At the beginning of this program, my first course was diversity and multiculturalism in higher education, with Dr. Huhn, and this course taught me to think outside of the box especially when it comes to thinking about areas of diversity and a multicultural campus. Diversity extends far beyond the bounds of black and white and this is a valuable lesson as an administrator, it seems so simple but this is a powerful concept. These courses expanded my cultural knowledge and skill base and helped me become more away of my own learning and communication styles and the importance of intercultural communication in a university context. These courses inspired me to travel abroad to Italy for the first time in an additional course with Dr. Cushner, which was an invaluable experience. These courses also inspired me to engage in a final practicum with the Vice Provost of Kent State University, Dr. Steve O. Michael. In this practicum I am currently learning about pipeline student recruiting methods as well as KSU’s China Expansion Initiative.  I did expect to grow and learn from my graduate school experience; however, I did not expect that the people rather than the material would be the most influential aspect of my personal and professional development. Leadership, accountability, and intercultural competence were promoted in the courses that I have taken throughout this program and these three areas have been very impactful and influential in picking my internships as well as providing career guidance. I learned about myself, that I have a passion for diversity initiatives and working with underrepresented groups and international students as well as a passion for financial initiatives that generate a university culture of self sustainability. I have learned what kind of leader I want to be and how I would like to influence change for the better.  In the near future, I would like to pursue a career working with international development and international scholars. This field combines both of my interest in development and international expansion. In several courses we have conducted resume reviews and discussed the job search and interview process. The knowledge taken from these groups has been very helpful in preparing my own resume and job search process. The next step is to join an international professional organization. I have joined the American College Personnel Association and will be presenting on Leadership for Underrepresented Students in higher education institutions in Washington D.C. This is a huge step professionally for me and I am looking foreword to this developmental experience. I transferred from the M.B.A. program into the Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel M.Ed program. This was the best decision I have made in my three years at Kent State University. The people, the knowledge, and the experiences have been invaluable in their contribution to my personal and professional growth and will be very applicable to my professional growth and career in the near and distant future.