“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” -Paulo Coelho

During my time at George Mason University, I have been given ample opportunities to reflect on myself, my values, and my goals and understand how my actions live in congruence with each of those.. With the LEAD Office as my foundation, I have sought experiences and opportunities that would challenge me to develop a greater understanding of myself and how I operate within my communities. It is through these experiences that I have come to believe that everything happens for a reason and that there is a lesson in all that we do.

My values guide my life. When I consider the type of person that I want to be, I often keep my core values in the forefront of my mind. One of my greatest values is courage. I find that it is important to push your comfort zone and always be willing try something new. I also factor in the values of responsibility, purpose, and growth, among others. I find values to be an important part of understanding who you are and knowing how to live a life of integrity and leading by example.

I often refer to the strengths assigned to me by the StrengthsFinder assessment when considering opportunities for growth and development. My signature strengths are Activator, Adaptability, Individualization, Connectedness, and Achiever. In the time since I have taken the assessment, I have been able to use my awareness of my strengths to continue to grow as a leader and a future professional. One strength that I operate the most within is Activator. I get very excited about new ideas and starting new projects and have been able to use this strength to develop my abilities in regards to administrative tasks and attention to detail. This is one attribute that I continually try to develop and work on to ensure that all of the projects I set my mind to are completely to their greatest potential. Using my strengths, I have been able to harness and maximize my abilities by analyzing which ways I can best contribute to a team or group.

I also have a strong commitment to my own professional development. While I am currently studying Government & International Politics with a focus in Public Policy & Administration, I am preparing to enter the field of Student Affairs. Because I am not studying something that relates directly to Higher Education, I have joined the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP). NUFP is a program that seeks to increase the number of underrepresented professionals in the field by creating mentoring relationships, conference opportunities, and a variety of other experiences for current undergraduate students who have an interest in student affairs. My current mentor is Matt Kuder, Assistant Director for Summer Operations and Special Projects with Housing and Residence Life. Having Matt as my mentor has been an amazing experience that has helped me grow and learn about the professional that I hope to be from someone who I deeply admire and identify with.

For the past three years, I have received scholarships that allowed me to attend the NASPA Annual Conference. This conference has provided me with the opportunity to meet undergraduate and graduate students that are interested in the profession, as well as professional staff members who currently work in higher education. I have been able to develop skills and a greater understanding of what it means to be in student affairs. I was also afforded the opportunity to attended the Dungy Leadership Institute (DLI) in the summer of 2015. This week-long leadership institute transformed much of my worldview and taught me things about myself that I had yet to understand. These opportunities have truly allowed me to embrace this passion and career and learn from a variety of people and experiences.

I am proud of the steps I have made towards my own self-awareness, but I know that there is still so much for me to learn about myself and the role that I play in the world. I intend to continually involve myself in experiences that help me develop this self-understanding, especially as I move on to a new university and professional experience. I cannot thank the LEAD Office enough for the opportunities and experiences it has provided me with that gave me space to reflect on my abilities as I grow.