“There is no passion to be found in playing small—in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living.”-Nelson Mandela

If I hadn’t have found a future that I was so passionate about, I don’t know that I would have much to say about Career Readiness. However, I have been highly motivated by the fact that preparing myself for graduate school and the journeys after that means I will be doing the work that I love. I look forward to a career in Student Affairs and Higher Education and have worked expand my network and experience in that field.

I was introduced to the idea of being a Student Affairs professional when I asked a Resident Director if they were a graduate student. He corrected me by telling me that he had a Masters degree, that most Student Affairs professionals obtain a Masters degree before entering the field. That conversation, at the end of my freshman year, sparked the realization that the work that I am doing now as an undergraduate can translate into a future career. I have been going at it full force since then.

I was very grateful to receive a scholarship during my sophomore, junior, and senior year to attend the NASPA Annual Conference. NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) is a professional association that has a commitment to the development of individuals of all experiences including undergraduate, graduate, and all levels of professionals. In 2014, I attended both the undergraduate pre-conference and the annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland as an independent undergraduate student. A few weeks later, I applied for the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program and was able to again attend both conferences in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2015.

During my final semester, I had the opportunity to serve as the NUFP Intern at the NASPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. with the Member Engagement team. I metroed into the city twice a week and assisted my supervisor, Nathan Victoria, with projects regarding the NUFP Program, member engagement at the annual conference, social media engagement, and a variety of other tasks. This opportunity allowed me to experience the behind-the-scenes operation of a major professional association and better understand the role of an association in the field. As a part of this internship, I was afforded the opportunity to attend the 2016 NASPA Annual Conference and Undergraduate Student Pre-Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana for my final conference as a NUFP Fellow.

The NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program is a program that was created (originally as the Multicultural Undergraduate Fellows Program) to encourage the development of underrepresented populations in the field of Student Affairs. These populations include, but are not limited to, students of color, students with disabilities, and students who identify within the LGBTQ community. Fellows are paired with a mentor and spend the year working on career preparation with their mentor. Throughout my time at Mason, I have had my mentors switch quite a bit. For my last year, I had the privilege of having Matt Kuder, Assistant Director of Summer Operations/Special Projects for Housing serve as my mentor. Each of my mentors have played extremely important and significant roles in my life, and my relationship with Matt has allowed me to grow into my personal identity and truly understand what it means to honor and love all parts of myself.

I view Career Readiness as the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Putting myself into challenging situations that allow me to learn more about myself and how I respond to various scenarios has granted me the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of myself as a professional. I feel that I have a solid foundational understanding of how to tactfully navigate future situations in a way that will foster my continued growth.

I look forward to taking advantage of more professional development opportunities in the future. I have truly enjoyed my time at NASPA and I hope to continue my involvement as I move to the next levels of my career. Career Readiness has allowed me to grow as a well-rounded aspiring professional, and I am excited about the idea of continuing to thrive.