9001Phil

Education has been central to my life. Through my toddler years I could be found with crayons and coloring books in the back of my parents’ lecture halls on a small, liberal arts campus. I began my college coursework while still in high school, being the only one in a high school football jersey on Fridays. The following fall after my high school graduation I attended college--where I became fully immersed in education and college sponsored activities such as being an orientation-leader and my sorority, providing me with the opportunity to give back to the university. Attending graduate school to study Higher Education Administration was an easy decision for me—Higher Education has been a through every step of my life with me; as a creative toddler through my awkward teenager stage—to see me through the most important years of my bond with higher education, when I got to live it.

Through my life experiences and the knowledge I have received from the Higher Education Administration program I have developed a philosophy of education. Higher Education’s purpose is to create a society of individuals who are able to examine and think critically about their role in society in order to create a civic-based mentality. We as Higher Education Administrators have a distinct role in overseeing the fluidity of this evolution in our students. Drawing upon Perry's Theory it often takes students a while to development and it does not usually happen in a linear fashion, so we as administrators need to be aware of the movement within our students as they become society's intellectual leaders (Evans, Forney &Guido-DiBrito, 1998, p. 133).

While there are many positions dedicated to the evolution of students, I believe that advancement is an alternative route to supporting students' education. With the onset of the economic depression in the United States, I want to help students who are struggling to attend or stay enrolled in higher education. The field of institutional advancement/development is dedicated to providing monetary support for students and the longevity of higher education institutions. Furthermore, advancement/development embeds a culture of philanthropy within students through opportunities such as the "phone-a-thon"--therefore creating a civic-based mentality. Through my profession, I will dedicate myself to enhancing students' educational development and the mission of the university by cultivating relationships that will provide philanthropic gifts.

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998) //Student Development in College//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.