Passion, Purpose, Progress

​

When I first started to work in the field of education, I wasn’t sure to what capacity I could make an impact. As a first-time educator, I was highly motivated to serve the best interests of my students. However, I knew that my leadership journey was just beginning, and that I would have to get to know my students to truly understand each of their individual needs. My three years spent as an educator taught me that students personal and professional goals greatly vary and that they are not only in pursuit of a life they are passionate about but a life that they envision their family would be proud of. When I transitioned to higher education, I continued to center my focus on the student experience and acknowledged how experience and familial background, affects students’ pursuits and reasoning for going back to school. Thus, I’ve made it my goal to continue learning best practices when helping students in their academic journey. Additionally, my experience in the educational field ignited my passion to help students from low-income backgrounds achieve a higher education.

 

With a strong desire to make a long-lasting impact in the educational field, I began the (MAED) Master of Arts in Education, which lasted for a course of five semesters. During this time, I continued to work full time while raising my daughter, who is soon to be five years old. Although it was very difficult to take on these three roles, I am very proud of the resilience that I’ve shown throughout the course of the years. I not only learned how to balance my school, work, and co-parenting schedule, but I also grew to appreciate myself more for the hard work I’ve put into make a better life for myself and my daughter. When I started my first course, (ED 800) Concept of Educational Inquiry, Professor Stein asked me what I hoped to achieve from the program and what I would like her to know about myself. I stated that I wanted to explore underlying factors that drives organizational infrastructures and to get to know key players involved in decision making. I told her that I wanted to think beyond the scope of an educator so that I can better understand whether the system sets students up for success or for failure. Additionally, I informed Professor Stein that I view myself as a resilient individual and that I will never give up and strive to do my best with every opportunity. Lastly, I stated that I would like the course to help me sharpen my mindset and help me develop a better approach for educational leadership.

 

At this point in my professional career, I feel it critical to find my way back to working with students at the K-12 level. Through my courses, I’ve discovered a calling to help close the economic gap by being of service to vulnerable and under-resourced communities. The first course that made me passionate about this mission was my (CEP 802) Developing Positive Attitudes Towards Learning course which was taught by Professor Wong. This course helped me analyze my personal motivation and helped map out opportunities for career growth. I not only reflected on my aspirations, but I also realized both my strengths and weaknesses in a position of leadership and how critical mentorship is in shaping my path. Since taking this course, I have gained my director as my mentor, and I have also taken part in mentoring new co-workers throughout the course of their training process. Professor Wong’s deep appreciation for reflection helped me understand that learning is continuous and that we must actively assess our perspectives to help us excel in positions of leadership.

 

Next, taking (CEP 815) Technology and Leadership with Professor Shack, encouraged me to identify gaps in the school system where I discovered how unprepared high school seniors are in navigating through the college enrollment process post high school graduation. Without a strong support system, graduates with low financial capital are bound to have low expectations for attaining a post-secondary degree. With Professor Shack’s guidance, I was able to envision potential solutions for this issue. My first idea was to tailor actionable steps to help students understand their career goals with consideration of tuition, flexibility and modality preference. My second idea was to create a college success course to help students become aware of internal promotions offered by different colleges and to help them navigate through different options for post-secondary education. This includes starting at an Associates level and following transfer advantage pathways to help student qualify for partner promotions. Students can also transfer in credits from Straighter line or Coursera, which will allow them to take courses at a lower fee. Finally, I found that extending communication with students post-graduation, can assist in keeping them accountable of their academic objectives while also providing support during a critical transitional period.

 

The third course that made a tremendous impact in shaping my thought process is (EAD 801) Leadership and Organizational Development, which was another course I had taken with Professor Stein. This class challenged my thought process regarding teaching practices that perpetuate implicit bias and color-blind teaching. It encouraged me to engage in dialogue with topics involving race, culture and linguistics and helped me learn the importance of cultural sensitivity. Professor Stein once asked us how our stocks of knowledge and social location shapes how we view the world around us. This made me realize how important it is to not make assumptions based on my own social construct and to branch out to understand the lived experiences of culturally diverse groups.

 

Through the courses I have taken in the MAED program, I have learned the importance of being a lifelong learner and in turning my passion to purpose. Before I began the program, I was not aware of the impact I can make as an individual. This belief shifted due to my professors’ willingness to challenge my viewpoints which made me rethink what type of leader I would want to be remembered as. Additionally, the ungrading method my professors implemented, allowed me to complete my coursework confidently for I knew that I would be able to utilize feedback to consider different viewpoints and improve my assignments. Taking away the fear of the first submitted work having to be the ‘best’ work allowed room for constant improvement in my studies. This further propelled me to be an advocate for ungrading strategies and encourage room for error to enhance discussion and allow students to habitually reflect on their formed beliefs.

 

While the ten courses I have taken for my graduate program was conducive to my academic growth, I found CEP 802, CEP 815 and EAD 801 to be prominent in shifting my formed ideologies and vision for the future. My professors not only provided me the tools to be cognizant of my own beliefs, but they provided immediate feedback which helped me improve as a critical thinker, learner, and overall leader. As I conclude my last semester at Michigan State University, I am thankful for all the encounters I have had with both professors and colleagues for it has allowed me to align my career goals with my passion for serving at-risk communities.

 

I am forever grateful Michigan State!