student affairs personal philosophy paper

Running head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY PAPER 1

Personal Philosophy Paper

Joelle L. Edwards

Northern Arizona University

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY PAPER 2

Personal Philosophy Paper

Many people come into student affairs wanting to help people and I am no exception.

Specifically, I want to help Native American students be successful in higher education. A big

motivator for me is my family and giving back to my tribe. I was given the name Animikikwe

which means thunderbird in Ojibwe, my tribe’s language. The thunderbird is considered one of

the most powerful spirit beings below the creator. I take this meaning with me into my personal

life, career goals, and motivation. Part of my reasoning for getting my Indian name was to give

me guidance in my life and to remember to always keep my culture in mind. I can be strong for

my tribe, my family, and native people in becoming a leader. Keeping that mind, I have come to

learn that Native American students attend college at drastically lower rates compared to their

white counterpart. I believe I have the insight and determination to help more students attend

college and graduate from an institution. Working in higher education will allow me to have a

career that makes me proud and feel like I am making a difference in students’ lives.

I have learned in class that theory can guide how professionals view students and their

development like the Baxter Magolda’s Self-Authorization Theory, which resonates with me.

College is a time for students to really discover who they are through their own experiences and

develop an identity which is independent of others (Magolda, 2007). This may be the first time

students experience people of different races and/or ethnicities, have their values and opinions

challenged, and make decisions away from their families. This may cause students to change

their existing beliefs or to form new beliefs based on their new life experiences (Magolda, 2007).

Students also learn inside and outside of the classroom through discussion, speakers,

friends, job experiences, and organization participation. Some may say this combined learning,

especially learning outside the classroom, really helps students to develop their identity. No one


student will have the same experience and it is not concrete when the student will reach different

stages which is something as student affairs professionals we need to keep in mind.

I also believe that this theory does not apply equally to students of different races, such as

Native American students. Native American students, especially those coming from reservations,

have certain values and beliefs that are tied deeply to their culture and these values and beliefs do

not change easily. If a student chooses to accept certain values or beliefs that are different from

their traditional culture, they may feel as if they are losing their culture or becoming “colonized”.

This can be a big fear for students due to feeling that they have two identities, one at school and

one at home, or that they have this new identity that does not fit when either place.

Moreover, when thinking of identity development with Native American students one

could consider the teachings of the medicine wheel. Each color represents different parts of life

and the Earth and how this symbolically makes a person whole. One can take the teachings and

apply it to the identity development in college. The medicine wheel has for different colors that

each have multiple meanings attached to them. Certain colors on the medicine wheel represents

parents and family being involved with the education process in order for the student to have

success. It also represents that each student has a different experience. Each color also

symbolizes a person’s well-being such as spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

When all of these aspects are put together it creates a full circle and represents how everything is

connected. Having this perspective might help students develop an identity that fits them both

culturally and educationally. Professionals need to realize the struggle that Native Americans

students’ face in the identity formation during college and try to guide them to an identity they

can be proud of and navigate between school and home.


In addition to helping students develop an identity through college, student affairs is

needed in the higher education setting for a variety of other reasons. My current perspective on

the primary purpose of student affairs is to assist students in all aspects of their lives as they

navigate their life through college. One example that stands out to me, because I currently work

for housing, is the idea of conduct. The purpose is to guide students in making better life

decisions, and ultimately, better citizens now and in the future. Students themselves might not

realize the purpose for conduct aside from being punished for whichever policy they violated.

Universities realize students have this new found freedom that comes with consequences, which

might not be apparent to the student. Using the conduct process we can help students navigate

these freedoms and consequences in a safe place.

Again student affairs is needed in higher education because it encompasses almost

everything that makes a university structure unique outside of classes. Students are not only

going to college to get a degree, but also for the experiences and assistance universities provide

outside of the classroom, such as career services, clubs and organizations, on campus living,

academic assistance, counseling, athletics, and many more. These aspects are all part of the

college experience that are sought out by many students. Students are able to learn what they are

passionate about and enhance their resumes through involvement outside the classroom. Clubs

and organizations, living on campus, athletics, and other aspects of the college experience give

college a certain look and without them colleges would look very different and students may not

be given the chance to grow as individuals.

The areas within student affairs that I am most interested in are the office of multicultural

affairs, Native American student services, admissions, and learning communities. These areas on

campus will allow me to directly interact with students on an everyday basis. I will get more


opportunities to work with Native American students on campus, which directly relates to my

career goals. Campuses have different names for the departments that work with minority

students, for example at my previous institution the Office of Multicultural Affairs, which

encompassed all the different minorities on campus within one space. However, here at Northern

Arizona University there are multiple departments, such as the Office of Diversity and

Inclusivity and the Native American Student Services department. Those two departments look

different as far as which populations they serve but that would give me opportunities with

recruitment, to connect with current students, to practice advocacy for students, and advising.

Besides working for those specific departments admissions is also appealing because that

gives me opportunities for recruitment and advocacy for students to be admitted to the

university. It would allow me to directly interact with potential students, travel to their towns,

and be a resource in this decision making process. Learning communities are up and coming

programs that are proving to be useful and successful on campuses for retaining students. I,

myself, was in a learning community, as well as current graduate assistant position within the

learning communities department. I truly believe in the mission, goals, and process of learning

communities because I have seen the success first hand. This area of work is rewarding and

again like the other areas allows for direct interaction and the ability to see statistically the

impact the programing is having on students.

Ideally I could see a career in any of these different departments on campus. They each

would give me different skills and viewpoints on how different departments work together on

campus and what changes could be made in order to effectively help our students succeed and

make the smooth transition to college. If I had the choice and opportunity, I would be in a

position where I am working directly with Native Americans students. This would include


traveling to reservations for recruitment purposes, creating programing for students, being a

resource and advisor for students whenever they need it, and being an advocate on campus for

students’ needs. The position I am currently in allows me open communication with a variety of

other departments on campus with and a shared goal we are all working towards.

Ultimately I want to make a difference on campus for Native American students and have

their voices be heard. I think Native American students are oftentimes overlooked or pushed to

the side due to their low enrollment rates. I hope to increase the attendance rates and help

students have a fair chance at attending college, no matter which type of university they plan on

attending. I want to educate others on the issues facing Native American students and become a

resource for education. I think there is a lot of misconceptions about what is helpful for Native

American students at the universities and I want to direct others on proper programing, language

use, and different identity formation models for Native American students. I strongly believe I

have a duty to help my people find ways to education, because that is how we will make our

tribes stronger and succeed in an advancing world.


References

Magolda, M. (2007). Self-Authorship: the foundation for twenty-first-century education. New

Directions for Teaching and Learning, 109. Retrieved from

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/333946/3216960/1243626552973/Self-

authorship_Magolda_NewDirec2007.pdf?token=OvUXvq7AHfZNBtpIm1frtcbillA=

student affairs personal philosophy paper

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