Running head: MY NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

My Narrative Description

Patrick Rezek

Loyola University Chicago

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Being in this program at Loyola has provided me with an incredible experience to really

get to understand myself not only as an individual, but also as an educator. I have been

challenged to reflect, learn (and unlearn), and question progression; to do more than just settle

and to think outside of my own comfortabilities. A lot of the courses I have had over this

program focus on my ability to transition into the field of higher education and apply the skill

sets we have fostered within the classroom into real-time practice. In this narrative reflection, I

will discuss the courses that impacted me the most in my practice, how I have grown throughout

this program, and what I have learned the most from my graduate internships both at DePaul and

Loyola.

Core Program Content

If there was one word or phrase that I could use to sum up the entirety of the importance

of student development theory in higher education today, it would be belonging- the sense of

being seen, heard, and wanted through and in education. In Brené Brown’s Braving the

Wilderness, she quotes the infamous Dr. Maya Angelou on belonging, “You are only free when

you realize you belong no place- you belong every place- no place at all. The price is high. The

reward is great” (Brown, 2018, p. 5). The idea of belonging no place, yet belonging every place

is a theme that rings true in the work of student affairs professionals across higher education. The

importance of belonging is such a core and fundamental tenant of student development theory

and throughout the entire practice of student affairs work; we come to understand that the sense

of belonging for students is at the core, and all these theories we learn, are methods and practices

in which we can use to build upon and achieve a student’s sense of belonging. This belief and

feeling of belonging, has always been a key tenant in my pedagogical practices, both in the
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classroom and outside; however, student development theory completely enhanced the

importance of this value and gave a name and literature to the practice.

Intersectionality is truly at the heart of all higher educational practices, especially within

student affairs. Without understanding intersectionality and providing the time and space needed

to do such, we cannot strive towards bettering our students, staff and faculty. The core of

intersectionality looks at taking the lived experiences of people and the multiple identities that

we share and seeing how they intertwine and connect to form purpose and meaning. I was first

introduced to this concept of intersectionality in my Multicultural and Social Justice course my

very first semester in the program. Much of what I learned in this course, specifically around

intersectionality, has wholeheartedly come to shape my style and practice in higher education. I

have come to see and understand that students have many different social identities (race, class,

gender, sex, ability) and they all interact at different levels depending on the person and the

environment they are placed in.

Within student affairs, we are tasked with taking these multiple social identities and

creating events, programs, activities, and learning and living communities that target and

represent each identity to give that sense of belonging for every student. We can incorporate

intersectionality into our everyday practices by creating steering committees for programs with

different social identities represented; we involve more students in classroom group discussions

that challenge people to think from different perspectives; we engage institutional community

members to stand up and be vulnerable to experiences they may not be accustomed to. The

importance of intersectionality can only come into successful fruition if there is a safe

environment created for students and faculty alike to allow for exploration and vulnerability of

identity and understanding. I am fully grateful that many of the professors at Loyola have
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worked to incorporate intersectionality within class discussions, group projects, and leaving us

with the ability to take such knowledge into our graduate assistantships and internships.

Growth in the Program

Many of the articles we read and discussed in our Foundations of Student Affairs course

talk about the creation of a professional identity and in creating that professional identity, we are

constantly evolving, learning, and tweaking how we see ourselves in the roles we take on. I think

more so through the courses we have had in this final year, I have really taken reflection as a tool

to explore my career development. I believe it is critical to take every aspect of my current job in

campus life (each event, meeting, the planning process, and interaction with students) and truly

think about my role within, what I want to get out of it, how I can develop differently to better

me and the situation, the people whom I work with and for, and takeaways. Being an active

learner has become a big part of my short term and long-term career goals in part because of this

program. I now believe in the phrase “life-long learners” and it is ever more crucial that we

understand this in higher education because it is a field that is ever evolving. We have new

aspects to gender, sexual orientation, race, culture, etc… that arise every day and we owe it to

ourselves, our students, and our profession to be as up to date as possible.

I have also gained a greater appreciation for this program as we have journeyed through it

because there is an objective that we engage with our out-of-classroom experiences and connect

it with the in-the-classroom coursework; we bring our lived experiences into the classroom to

further challenge theory and literature, and this has been such an empowering motivator for me

in the field of practice. It definitely has led me to garner a greater dedication to strive in the field

of student affairs, knowing that I have the ability to make such an impact on many lives. Pride
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for the profession is a large part of what I have come to receive from this program and something

I seek to gain through my work beyond this May.

Graduate Internship Experience

One of the greatest things that I have learned from both of my graduate internships at

DePaul University and Loyola University was supervisory styles and leadership. We have spent

a great deal of time in this program talking about the importance of supervision and how having

a good relationship between a supervisor and supervisee can directly impact one’s “fit” in a

university or college. Ashely Tull writes, “Winston and Creamer (1997) defined supervision in

higher education as a “management function intended to promote the achievement of

institutional goals and enhance the personal and professional capabilities of staff”” (Tull, 2006, p

466). I think this two-part definition is critically important because we tend to see the first part as

a driving force of supervisors (directors, associate directors, assistant directors, etc), but the

second part in regard to staff’s personal and professional capabilities, tends to lack in

foundational relevance. I think supervisors in higher education become so student-centered and

oriented, which isn’t necessarily wrong, but they neglect to see and understand the needs of their

own staff members; focusing on these needs of staff is of vital importance because if your staff

isn’t supported or feels cared for, then how are they able to fulfill that directive for their own

student populations? One internship in particular, provided me with such a strong supervisory

style where I felt supported every step of the way, and with this, I saw a direct correlation with

my success in helping students and fellow team members.

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Synergistic supervision hits at the heart of directive care that new professionals seek in a

field that may be new to them, or one that requires them to exhibit amounts of care for their

students. For me personally, I respect this practice of supervision as a role model for all

professionals as it is one that is expected of us towards our students. In my line of work with

campus activities and program engagement, I need to constantly receive feedback and appraisal

to know if the work I am doing is impacting students in the way that I want it to; I look for

relationships where my supervisor knows where I want to be in five to ten years and helps direct

me or gives me the ability to expand my knowledge and skill sets. This was a vital part to my

growth and development as an educator in this program, having both the opportunity to have

these conversations in the classroom as well as outside with other student affairs professionals; it

gives deeper meaning and power to the practice itself.

Conclusion

It is important in higher education, especially when navigating student affairs work, to

continually ask yourself, how do you, in your entirety, shape and/or influence your

understanding of the world around you? Takacs (2003) states in his article How Does Your

Positionality Bias Your Epistemology, “students are empowered because they recognize that they

have unique claims to knowledge that others cannot deny. Only I have lived my life; only you

have lived yours. This encourages me to listen to you and you to me, as we each have a unique

perspective” (Takacs, 2003, p. 29). If each student brings forth their own lived experiences, and

we, as student affairs professionals, create a space for open dialogue and communication,

students are able to challenge and support each other through the creation of such events and

programs, but are also, and more importantly, able to learn about the world through different

perspectives and human lenses. Practicing with an understanding to different perspectives was a
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fundamental value that I received in this program. It seems so easy to hear, but in reality, takes

time and dedication to effectively practice. By encouraging students not only to listen to other

people’s perspectives, but also to share their own, then creates an important and valuable

learning environment which I hope to further progress in my practice as a student affairs

educator.

References

Brown, B. (2018). Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to

Stand Alone. Thorndike Press.

Takacs, D. (2003). How does your positionality bias your epistemology? The NEA of Higher

Education Journal, 27-38.

Winston, R.B., & Creamer, D.G. 1997. Improving staffing affairs practices in student affairs. In

Tull, A. (2007). Synergistic supervision, job satisfaction, and intention to turnover of new

professionals in student affairs. Journal of College Student Development. 47:4, 465-480.