Personal Narrative Reflection

My heart was racing, I was panicking. It was Tuesday, September 2, 2014 and I had just
learned that I failed to complete my first assignment of graduate school. It was the first time in
my life I had ever not completed my homework. That evening I was calm and confident as I
waited for my seven oclock class to begin. It was the second week of graduate school and I had
produced the photo reflection assignment as instructed or had I? Later I learned that not only
had I failed to complete the assignment in full but also neglected to carefully follow the
instructions. I found myself in unknown territory I was mortified. Luckily, my instructor
showed compassion and allowed me to turn in the assignment in full the next day I left the
class at the end of the semester with an A.
Upon receiving my admittance to the School of Education Higher Education Masters
program at Loyola University Chicago I experienced mixed emotions I felt anxious, confused,
curious, and excited to name a few. I also felt insecure, compared to my peers, who exuded
confidence, especially as they described their candid, sincere reasons for choosing to enroll the
program. My reasons seemed disingenuous my intention was to earn a masters degree and,
hopefully, secure a larger pay check. I had been working in my full-time position as the
Assistant Registrar at Loyola for just over a year and was admitted to the program as a part-time
student. Loyola offers a tuition waiver program to full-time, benefits eligible staff which I was
pleased to take advantage of. It was only after my second class, on that September day in 2014,
that my attitude completely changed I realized how privileged I was to have the opportunity to
learn, grow, and develop. As I reflect on the past two and a half years I will describe the most
important content I learned from the program, gains in my personal growth and development,
and how I continue to mature professionally.

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

Prior to the fall of 2014 I recognized the injustices that occurred on a daily basis in our
society; however, I did not quite understand the roles that power, privilege, and oppression
played in creating them. As a result of the program I have a comprehensive understanding of the
systemic inequalities in society. I also acquired the vocabulary to support my points of view.
Required textbook readings and journal articles incited open, thought-provoking discussion in
class. I learned the language to communicate in manner that is inclusive and respectful of all
people. Class discussions provided the space to practice perspective-taking. Ultimately, I gained
a stronger awareness of diversity and multiculturalism.
As a result of the program, I developed the skills necessary to critique the injustices in
society of which I had previously been blind to. I learned how social identity informs
development theory and how to apply that knowledge to my practice as a student-affairs
professional. In class I was challenged to examine my own identities and how they affect my
interactions with others. Today I can name the ways in which my own identity has affected my
encounters and more importantly, understand how others social identities affect their
experiences. The classroom provided the space to exercise compassion and step outside my own
experiences. As a result of my completion of the higher education program, I am better prepared
to serve students through a well-informed understanding of diversity and inclusion.
In addition to learning about theories and practice in higher education, I developed an
appreciation for the learning process. I entered the program ten years after graduating from
professional experience, expressed hopes in helping to achieve a more just and sustainable
society through their work in the field. I had become somewhat disillusioned with higher
education due in part to my exposure to institutional policy and administrative rhetoric; my
peers, on the other hand, were wildly optimistic. Eventually I began to appreciate their candor in

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

believing they could make a significant impact. I adopted a new, refreshing perspective as I
often found myself reflecting on class discussions. I now recognize the limitations of my own
perspectives and understand the importance of intentional self-reflection to explore new ones. I
discovered that, regardless of where I am in my personal journey, there is much left to learn from
my peers and colleagues. Ultimately, I was inspired by my classmates hope for the future of
higher education. I learned to view the world through the critical lens of social justice while
holding true my peers optimism and hope for the future.
I completed my coursework this past summer and now this fall semester in 2016 I am
fulfilling my final program requirement through my internship experience. My internship as an
academic advisor at Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism provides
opportunities for hands-on learning as opposed to the traditional classroom setting. I have had
the opportunity to extend course content into practice by helping students navigate the trial and
tribulations of college. Thus far I have valued the chance to draw connections between my
students experiences and the student development theories I have studied over the past two
years. I have also learned the importance of developing trusting relationships with students
through open and direct communication. My internship experience has also reaffirmed my
passion for helping students. In my future practice as a higher education professional, my goal is
to motivate others to achieve their goals. I intend to empower and equip my students with the
tools they need to reach their full potential and to advocate for themselves.
Through my internship I have recognized a deeper appreciation for working in a
supportive, team-oriented environment. Although advising appointments are carried-out in a
one-on-one setting the collaboration that takes place in planning the appointments and reflecting
afterwards is essential. I look forward to working in an environment that cultivates an inclusive

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

community. I respect the importance of learning from my mentors and colleagues through a
commitment to continuously learn, grow, and develop. I am fortunate to have an internship
supervisor who recognizes the benefits in regular communication and as a result has instilled the
value of assessment in me. I will seek continuous professional assessment through informal and
formal feedback to improve my work as a higher education professional.
I have gained a wealth of knowledge through formal and informal settings, in and out of
the classroom. Through class discussions I learned the importance in recognizing and assessing
my strengths and weaknesses. I am grateful for my classmates who allowed me to be vulnerable
in a safe space so that I could reflect and learn from my inadequacies. I learned from my peers
to appreciate the value in perspective-taking. I am also grateful for my professors, who
encouraged me to break-out of my comfort zone and helped cultivate my critical self-reflection
skills. I am thankful for their support, thoughtfulness, and encouragement in reaching my goals.
As I continue my journey in higher education I think back to that night on September 2, 2014. I
realize how much stronger I am emotionally, intellectually and most importantly, I recognize
the confidence I always had within myself. Today I am better-prepared and, most importantly,
excited to advocate for student learning, growth and development through in engaging in
opportunities to explore the unknown, think critically, and through collaboration within the
higher education field.