MY STUDENT DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY 1

My Student Development Journey

Melissa K. Recht

Wright State University

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My Student Development Journey

Finding Self

Manchester wasn’t even on most Ohio maps. It was a small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it

school district in a township in the very southern sliver of Summit County, south of Akron. A

blip on a state route, a tiny town center populated almost entirely by white families, many of

them the second or third generation to live there. Manchester High School was a small box, one-

floor, wrapped around a courtyard with no access.

I grew up there, running wild and free in the woods and fields that made up the edges of

town. My sisters and I were smart, active, doted on by our parents (both first-generation college

students who knew about hard work and sacrifice). College was absolutely, positively, in the

game plan for us. My parents planned for it and our teachers and counselor encouraged us. All

three of us received scholarships to our respective state universities (Kent State for me, Ohio

University for my older sister and younger sister).

One of the scholarships I received helped define life as an undergraduate for me. The

Wick Poetry Honors Scholarship placed me squarely in the first set of circles that would widen

my world. Acceptance of the four-year scholarship meant that I would live on campus, in the all-

female Honors door, for my first year. Moving on campus, away from my close-knit family and

community, was eye-opening and broadening. Our dorm was not large, but we counted among

our ranks women from Eritrea, China, India, Pakistan, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, and

California. We had women from small towns and big cities. Some prayed to Allah, others were

devout Christians, I was a (cultural) half-Jewish, half-Methodist agnostic. One young woman

was gay. My roommate was a night owl Navy brat who had lived all over but had just flown in
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from Turkey, where her father was stationed. We were all young, and certainly privileged

enough to get to college, one way or another. We were alike in many ways, but very, very

different in others. And it was transformative. My first year of college was all-in dunking into

other cultures, other ideas, other foods, other ways of thinking about the world. The Honors

College (or the HOCO, as we fondly called it) was a physical place on campus, three dorms and

a center, but it was also a central educational force for those of us who lived in its sphere. Along

with the huge lecture classes so typical of Kent State, I had small, intimate seminar courses on

specialized topics. We discussed history and current events and social and political movements

in classes as small as twelve or thirteen students. All of our voices were heard and we were

engaged, open to experiences, and allowed to experiment with new ideas that deviated from the

textbook. We were truly challenged and supported. I learned a great deal from the young

women I lived with, and from the students in my seminar courses.

I was also moving in other circles. One of the most important influences on my college

career was that time I spent with the cultured (but still warm and caring) circle of the poets and

writers who ran the Wick Poetry Center. I learned a great deal about the art of poetry from my

instructors, and grew as a writer and a person. Having a mentor, my thesis advisor Maggie

Anderson, was vital. We worked together closely over three years, and her impactful guidance

made me feel worthy, grown-up, and important. I still cherish the book of poetry she signed for

me, with her best wishes for my future. Mattering to Maggie Anderson was life-changing for

me.

Other non-traditional experiences shaped my growth as well. I worked through most of

college as a banquet server on the Kent State campus. Early morning breakfasts required a 5 am

wake-up. Serving the annual Madrigal Dinner or huge weddings meant carrying trays loaded
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down by eight plates, my tiny form bending under the heavy ceramic. I would change out of my

tie and cummerbund and race off to class, still smelling like whatever meal I’d just served. And

it was wonderful. The frenetic pace of work and classes was broken by long coffee shop chats

with new friends, visits to Cleveland, Amnesty International and Writing Club and Hillel

meetings, and all-nighters fueled by hot chocolate and cheese curds from my Wisconsin-born

dorm neighbor. In short, I lived the campus life fully and joyfully during my first year. Living

on campus, living in a diverse and supportive environment, working an on-campus job, and

finding circles of influence in the Honors College and the Wick Poetry Center all defined and

shaped my college experience. These influences made me fall in love with college. I felt at home,

recognized, and given a voice. I was involved, active, and social.

Reflecting on this enriching time (now a decade and a half in my past), I can see that my

identity didn’t change as much as it expanded, thanks in part to my involvement on campus, my

support systems, and my mentor and professor. Ideas that were important to me but not

necessarily central became defining forces in my life. Embracing diversity, creating openness,

and cultivating acceptance were talked about regularly in my family. Finding ways to act on

these guideposts became vital in college. My experiences with my peers, my studies, my work—

all of these intersecting worlds asked of me to be open and aware and sensitive to the different

needs of each group I encountered. To survive and thrive in a diverse and multilayered

environment like the one Kent State provided meant that I put those ideas into practice every

day. Many of the student development theories are relevant to my own growth experiences. As

described by Patton, Renn, Guido, & Quaye (2016), the theory of intersectionality certainly

comes to mind, because it was in college that my identities as a student, a writer, a woman, an

activist, and a citizen of a diverse world came together. All of these identities coalesced to make
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me the more confident, more introspective, and more aware person I was when I graduated in

2001. The challenge and support theory (Patton et al., 2016) is applicable as well—I left a small

town and found myself smack in the middle of a huge state university, relying on myself but

finding resources, from mentors and guides to tutors and friends, to support my development.

But I believe that it was my intense involvement in campus life that allowed me to find my best

self in college, and to thrive and develop into the person I am today. 15 years later, I see that

many of the aspects of my identity and personality that developed in college remain central to

my sense of self. Working with so many groups on campus and meeting people who were

passionate, engaged, and active had a concrete impact on me. I wanted to be a joiner, a do-er, a

changer. And my subsequent involvement in the many activities available on campus helped me

make friends, experience new things, and become confident in the power of my own voice and

actions. Working, being a part of the Wick Poetry program and the Honors College, joining clubs

and finding a diverse set of friends—all of these activities made me feel a part of my college

environment. The involvement theory, described by Patton et al. (2016) very clearly stands out

as an important theory in my own development as a student.

My experiences remind me that the formative college years shape so much of what we

will do, who we will become, and how we will handle the challenges of life. I hope that in my

career as a student affairs professional I will take this knowledge and put into practice. My

experiences were positive and my college life was full and transformative, so I will encourage

students to join clubs and groups, experience on-campus life even if living off-campus, and get

involved with activities that will provide them with support, mentorship, interactions with new

people, and personal growth. Referencing my own experiences when working with students will

provide them with examples of how involvement can enrich their lives and awaken their own
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identities. Applying theories like challenge and support, involvement, and intersectionality when

providing ideas for improving a student’s experience in college will give me a broad platform to

reference. I will be a more informed professional, able to extol the benefits of, for example,

taking on an exciting student leadership position that can challenge and eventually benefit a

student. I can tell them, with research to back it up, that the amount of energy they are willing to

expend on getting involved in college (even with heavy workloads and conflicting priorities)

may well impact their lives for years to come. Because my experience living, learning, and

participating in student organizations with a diverse group of peers was so eye-opening, I will

encourage students to do the same, while thoughtfully considering the theories that may explain

some of the difficulties students face in adapting to college life.

I didn’t just go to college—I was transformed by college. The concentric circles of the

Honors College, Wick Poetry Center, my courses, my job, and my newfound friends all worked

in tandem to provide growth opportunities and a feeling of belonging. I joined in activities that

allowed me to expand my horizons, and those horizons are still expanding today. As a student

affairs professional, my mission will be to take what I’ve learned from my experiences and my

education and help others expand their horizons as well. I’m grateful to have had the

opportunity to see other worldviews and meet people with different ideas and lifestyles. The

openness and desire for knowledge about other cultures and ideas that was whetted in college

still informs my attitude about our shared humanity. With my own development journey in

mind, I will work to create openness and foster a sense of belonging for the students I work with

now and will work with in the future.

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References

Patton, L.D., Renn, K.A., Guido, F.M., & Quaye, S.J. (2016). Student Development in

College: Theory, Research, and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.