Areas of Growth

8/17/2019 Areas of Growth

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Running head: AREAS OF GROWTH

Portfolio Learning Outcome Narrative:

Areas of Growth


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Running head: Areas of Growth

Janet Nava Cardenas

Student Development and Administration

Seattle niversit!

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A"#AS O$ G"O%&':

Overcoming Challenges( Code)Switching( and Adaptation

*LO+,( LO+-( LO+./0 Artifacts: C.( C1( #(2

During m! time in the SDA program 3 have learned that overcoming challenge has 4een

possi4le through learning how to adapt and navigate different environments5 Dra5 Gutierre6

7 8uhs at Seattle niversit! reminded me of this during a time of dou4t5 She reminded me that 3

could not victimi6e m!self for the ver! challenges that got me this far5 A reminder that m!

cultural capital *7osso( 1//-2 is as much a producer of m! strengths as it is a product of

challenge5 &his reminder helped me distinguish m! role as a graduate student to m! role as a

professional5 &his was difficult 4eing that 3 was tr!ing to serve the same t!pe of student that 3

was0 a first)generation( low)income( student of color5 3t taught me that while m! e9perience was

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important( in order to adapt to m! environment successfull! 3 needed to code)

switch *8olins!( 1//;2 when 3 left the classroom and went to the worplace5

&his understanding of code)switching was one that allowed me to reevaluate and wor on

enhancing m! professional identit! *SDA( LO+./25 &his has 4een an area that has affected m!

a4ilit! to find a connection with others that 3 wor with5 %hat 3 have interpreted as giving

feed4ac( others have interpreted for 4eing overl! confident5 &hrough 4eing open to the feed4ac

and trusting others< processes( 3 have learned to develop ethical practice from which 3 4ring the

wor from man! colleagues and departments to 4e a resource to the student *Artifact( #1),25 3

continue to 4uild a professional identit! in a wa! that allows others to trust and want to see out

colla4oration and strengthen m! understanding of doing wor with integrit! in spaces that have

seemed unconventional *SDA( LO+,25 As 3 strengthen this sill 3 hope to find a 4alance 4etween

woring effectivel! and giving concrete feed4ac to m! peers5 &he steps that 3 have taen to do

this are demonstrated in m! a4ilit! to networ with those outside of m! current worspace5 &his

can 4e seen in m! SDAD -;-/ =est Practices presentation *Artifact( C12 where 3 openl!

>uestion m! own values in order to 4uild m! practice with first)generation( low)income

students5

&his e9perience has 4een crucial to the professional identit! that 3 develop *SDA( LO+./2

4ecause it has challenged me to reflect on m! understanding of access 4! learning a4out the

campus mission and the President?s vision5 3t has taught me to reframe m! >uestions to 4e in

alignment with the wor without losing its purpose or goal *SDA( LO+-25 Acnowledging the

different missions and philosophies on other campuses and reimagining how 3 fit in as a

profession allows me to adapt student services without losing m! a4ilit! to 4e student

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centered5 =eing a4le to contact professionals in m! field with similar e9periences as m!self

allowed me to hear the stories and strategies from other professionals of color *Artifact( C,25

&he! shared how the! too learned to navigate professionalism and identit! earl! in their careers5

&hese conversations have given me insight and patience to how 3 have currentl! addressed issues

in the worplace5

3n m! assistantship 3 was re>uired to step into m! supervisor?s role as a "esident Director

*Artifact( A25 During this time 3 concentrated on maing sure that the student?s that 3 supervised

were having a meaningful leadership e9perience5 'aving a 4ig role in this transition was another

e9perience that helped me 4uild a professional identit! *SDA( LO+./25 &his e9perience in m!

assistantship along with others strengthened m! presence in a time of conflict and disagreement

*Artifact( #1)-25 As a graduate student( filling in the role of m! supervisor meant that 3 would not

onl! find m!self conducting mediations with m! residents 4ut in mediations with m! colleagues5

&here was great challenge in adapting to this role without losing m! role as a student5 'owever(

4ecause there was a constant need for me to prove m! competenc! as an ethical leader fle9i4ilit!

and adaptation was something 3 learned >uicl!5

&his role and the pressure that came from m! department and the students that 3

supervised 4ecame so overwhelming that 3 had to start finding wa!s to cele4rate m! own

achievements5 &his idea of @encouraging the heart@*ou6es B Posner( 1//,2 was important for

me at such a time 4ut 3 was not getting such motivation and praise in m! worspace5 3 learned to

find some motivation through small wins *%eic( .EF2( maing it possi4le for me not to get

stuc in negative energ!5 8! most meaningful small win was the impact that 3 was having on m!

students5 3 measured this win 4ased on their feed4ac and interactions with me5 Adaptation

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4ecame something that 3 learned sometimes meant understanding how to 4est

conceptuali6e m!self in the scheme of 4igger things0 not removing m!self 4ecause things were in

opposition to what 3 4elieve the! should 4e5 &his made me a stronger leader *Artifact( #1)H25

&hrough this same e9perience 3 was a4le to gain professional integrit! and ethical

leadership in m! practice *SDA( LO+,25 3n m! personal competencies assessment *Artifact( #1)

2 3 have outlined this growth as 3 have 4ecome more confident with taing on leadership roles in

m! department5 3n the process of highlighting m! strengths 3 met with one of the directors and

m! department5 'e spoe to m! leadership and to m! ethical integrit!5 'e went on to sa! that as

someone who does not wor directl! with me( he can still highlight that when 3 am in a room and

4ring up an issue or an idea people listen5 'e said this was a valua4le sill and that as 3 have

grown in m! position 3 have learned how to use this sill in a wa! that represents strong

leadership5 'e also shared that this same sill was one that 3 had to learn to use strategicall! in

order to maintain a professional identit!5 Such advice allows me to eep sight of the platform

that 3 see in the wor that 3 do5

&hrough the SDA program 3 also saw theor! pla! a crucial role in m! learning and

practice to adapt m! practice to a changing population of students5 &o 4egin with 3 was 4eing

challenged to appl! m! framewor to a population of adults *8erriam( Caffarella(

B =aumgatner( 1/.12 that have !ears of ingrained 4ias in their values and understanding of race

and power5 &his course was one of the onl! courses that used multiple theories of learning that

was more recent and therefore applica4le to the change in student populations5 %hile having an

understanding of foundational theor! was important to learn to adapt to different conte9t and

populations at man! times one can 4ecome stuc on interpretation5 'aving 4oth foundational

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theories *SDA( LO +.2 has e9panded m! perspective in how 3 can adapt theor! to different

st!les of learning and populations5 3 continue to >uestion how 3 will adapt to m! practice to

online forums5

3n m! SDAD -// 3ntroduction to theor! course( 3 was reintroduced to Critical "ace

&heor! *Delgado B Stefancic( 1//.2 giving me a foundation to m! understanding of adapting to

different environments *SDA( LO+-25 3n one sense it meant that 3 must adapt in order to pave

wa!s in which 3 can appl! the theor! to m! wor5 On the other hand it was a tool to assess the

>ualit! of m! wor5 3 challenged m!self to reflect on m! wor 4! maing sure that 3 considered

law( race( class( and power in proIects( recruitment( and trainings5 3 continue to learn how

to adapt this practice in spaces where social ine>uit! is not a priorit!5 &his can 4e seen in the

leadership philosoph! *Artifact( C.2 that 3 have 4uilt on while in the SDA program5 3n this

artifact 3 focus on how 3 use collective leadership as a foundation to providing an environment

that is applica4le to an individual?s needs while serving a 4igger communit!5

%hile Critical "ace &heor! had driven me as an undergraduate student 3 had learned to

use it in a different conte9t than 3 understand it now5 As an undergraduate( using Critical "ace

&heor! was in conte9t of woring directl! with a communit! where change needed to occur

>uicl! in order for others to find safet! or Iustice5 Adapting this theor! to m! e9perience in the

Student Development Program has meant that 3 understand the conte9t of where 3 am

implementing the theor!5 %hile the conte9t of higher education has its own set of urgencies(

maing this distinction provides me space to respond to less dire issues as pro4lem solving

instead of a crisis5 At the core of m! learning and m! practice 3 have used Critical "ace &heor!

to provide me a critical lens5 &his framewor serves as a measurement of when adapting to m!


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environment infringes on m! a4ilit! to 4ring m! whole self to m! wor5 8ore specificall! it has

taught me to adapt student services to specific environments and cultures without losing m!

purpose5 &hese last two !ears have taught me that navigating spaces is not 4ased on getting to a

solution 4ut how 3 get there5

Developing strategies to adapt m! values in student development 4est practices and

enhancing m! professional identit! and ethics *SDA( Lo+,( Lo+-BLO+./2 has re>uired me to

develop a leadership philosoph! *Artifact( C.2 that has taught me that m! leadership will

change depending on conte9t and therefore so will the strategies 3 use to adapt and overcome

challenge5 3t is a reflection of how the growth that 3 have had in this program is in dialogue with

m! most salient identities in order for me to show up as a leader and how 3 have navigating that

4! code)switching in environments when it allows m! impact to 4e stronger5 8! leadership

philosoph! reflects the fle9i4ilit! to adapt to m! environment and students( code) switching to

move forward the agenda m! students help me 4uild( and overcoming the challenge of 4ecoming

stuc when others values do not align with the outcome 3 envision5

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Areas of Growth