1204Phil

One of my favorite quotes comes from a greeting card I once received: “Success is the art of being who you already are.” To me, this means that I do not have to be rich, famous or win the Nobel Prize to be successful. I only have to know myself, to be content with who I am, live everyday as myself, and not as someone or something I am not. This understanding and acceptance of self is, I believe, the unspoken, and often unrealized, goal of a college education. And this, I believe, is also the optimal role of student affairs: to help students find, accept and understand themselves. Each student has a story. Each student is unique and must be treated as so. My task is to discover students’ stories, learn who they are, where they want to go and how I can help them get there. In college, the emphasis is often on grades and academics, and while academics are important, a student is not just an intellectual being. A student has a mind, heart, body and soul which are equally essential to cultivate//.// Each area of life affects the other; when a student feels lost in one aspect of their identity, the entire person suffers. Therefore, I believe student affairs should intentionally work towards students’ holistic development: mental, emotional, physical, moral, spiritual. I want to lead students to understand all aspects of their identity and inspire them to reach their full potential. A large part of this holistic development is values. A student must ask, “What are my core values?” and “How can I live out my core values in my daily life?” This is the essence of being who you are. As a student affairs professional, I must also answer these questions. I must clarify my values, so I can align myself with an institution maintaining similar values. For me, the values and fit of an institution are the most important characteristics to consider when job searching. If I do not agree with an institution’s values, it is not a place I should be working. Important question to ask are, “What is the college’s mission and values?” and “Does this institution really live out its mission and values? Or are they just words on paper?” So what **//is//** important to me? What do **//I//** value? I value the development of the whole person. I value integrity. I value providing students the challenge and support they need to find out who they are. For each person, this challenge and support will look very different, but the end result is the same – a deeper sense, understanding and acceptance of self. If, by my work in student affairs, I can touch even one student’s life and make a positive difference, then it will have all been worth it. All it takes is one. "And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can makes a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that metter in the world come about. So be that one person." ~Richard Buckminster Fuller 