I must say…after a full week of travel, connections with friends new and old, pages of notes from fantastic educational sessions, and great volunteering experiences, the introvert in me was ready for a long ride home so I could reflect on the whirlwind of events. As I look back at different aspects of my experience in Philly, I’d like to share how my goals were achieved, along with some extra incites I learned in the process:

VOLunteering (What can I say…I’m a Tennessee VOLunteer!)
I volunteered at conference check-in, helped to close up shop for TPE, and videotaped short interviews to get attendee feedback on the conference for NASPA.

It was so exciting to volunteer at conference check-in where I was able to see the many places that conference attendees traveled from and such a great variety of institutions represented. It also gave me the chance to put faces with names I had seen before or to make a second or third time connection with people I recognized from previous encounters.  I was also fortunate to get a glimpse of TPE “behind the scenes” as a first year Master’s student who will be job searching this time next year!  Finally, it was an absolute pleasure to work alongside other SA professionals who take the time to serve at NASPA. I highly recommend volunteering for all NASPA attendees!

Challenging Educational Sessions
Prior to choosing specific sessions to attend, I made it my mission to search for sessions which would stretch my knowledge base and expose me to student populations and current issues with which I have little experience. With that in mind, some of the sessions I chose to attend included:

• Supporting Undocumented College Students: An Intergroup Dialogue
• Coming Home: Academic and Social Transitions of Student Veterans
• Purposeful Conversations about Spirituality and Religion

These sessions in particular stand out to me when I think of my conference experience. Each of them challenged me during my time in the session to consider how I ought to practice intentionality in supporting undocumented students, veteran students, and students in general in their quest for purpose and meaning.  These are sessions that I continue to reflect on even 2 weeks after returning home and I am working with other academic advisors in my office and students in my cohort to develop strategies or best practices for addressing these topics at the University of Tennessee.

Connecting with New and Seasoned Professionals
Sometimes my introvert (yes, there are introverts in student affairs!) can get the better of me when it comes to large crowds. So I knew when I arrived at NASPA I would have to slip into my extrovert shoes and hang on.  But listen up introverts, here are some tricks I learned for making and strengthening great connections:
1. #Twitterverse. I made multiple connections just by engaging with other NASPA-goers on Twitter! Not only did it help me to connect with others at the conference, but it allows me an easy way to keep up with them and their interests in student affairs after leaving Philadelphia.
2.  One-on-one’s with the person sitting next to me. Speaking with one or two people to my right or left when attending sessions allowed me a chance to hear a little about that person as a colleague, and also for us to unpack the session content together.
3. Strengthen the weak tie. I can’t tell you how many times I walked past someone in the convention center lobby or walking down the sidewalk and thought…I recognize that face, I have seen them somewhere before.  Of course I stared at them for what was hopefully no more than a brief moment, trying to figure out where I knew them from. Regardless, they were a familiar face, which prompted me to say hello and spend a few minutes talking with them about where we met before and where they are in life today.

I think I could go on and on about all I learned in a few short days at the NASPA conference, but I will stop there for now! I hope to connect with many of you in the future and that we will see each other in Phoenix for NASPA12 next year!

Feel free to connect with me on Twitter by following @Jessicaeg42.

1. Making friends with the NUFP Fellows and exploring Philadelphia with them
2. LBGTQ Knowledge Community Meetings and Socials—if you aren’t a part of a KC, you should definitely consider it. I even met a NUFP liaison there who is willing to help me with my grad school applications.
3. Favorite Sessions—Developing White Allies on Campus & Masculinities in Higher Education completely validated my activism and advocacy on campus and cemented my desire to work for queer and trans students on campus
4. NUFP Pre-Conference Workshop—the Q&A session with current professionals was so powerful and touching that it made me tear up a little
5. Regional and Collegial Receptions—free food and conversation! My favorite was by far the Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI) Reception.

It was truly a blessing to be a part of the conference as an undergraduate, and I covet this experience as life-changing. This is only the beginning for me, and I just want to thank everyone who has helped bring me to this point and helped me realize that Student Affairs was the field I wanted to be in. See you all in the future!

I took part in The Placement Exchange a few days before the conference started and that was a story all its own.  I expected to feel very overwhelmed; however, it was the opposite!  The TPE staff and all the candidates were all very supportive and encouraging.  I remember sitting in one of the waiting areas for an interview and feeling a little queasy because of the strong silence.  Fortunately, one of the interviewers did an impromptu song and dance which made everyone laugh and relax!  I walked through the interview rooms and the candidate resource rooms and thought, “How does this all happen?” “It is so organized!”  I got a behind the scenes tour and was able to volunteer some time as a greeter to the candidate resource room.  Standing there for only a few short hours, I soon realized that there were many candidates there for one purpose: To find a golden opportunity for their future.  As candidates entered and exited the room, I tried my best to be cheerful and ask how their days were going.  One candidate appeared to be very emotional and told me they were really stressed out.  It was a great opportunity to encourage her and share with her that I was feeling the same way!  I’m crossing my fingers for an on campus interview, however, if that doesn’t happen, I am still grateful for the opportunity to have met new friends and practice for future interviews.Likewise, my experience during the conference was also a great learning experience. At first, I tried to plan out each day to the tee, but then I soon realized the meaning of having a flexible schedule!  There were so many sessions that I wanted to attend and at times I felt like I wanted to attend all of the ones at the same time slot.  I finally boiled down my choices to a new area of interest for me, which is college mental health.  All of the sessions had knowledgeable professionals and graduate students conducting research in this area and I was also able to walk away with examples of how to implement workshops and advocate for students as well.  Additionally, I was able to get into the hot seat as a presenter for a session that I co-presented with my APU cohort and our professor.  The presentation started off rocky due to technical difficulties; nonetheless, it was saved by an audience member who kindly let us borrow her computer!  Another highlight of my conference experience was being able to volunteer and help promote NASPA 2012 which is going to be held in Phoenix!  I was the person who stood in the middle of the hallway trying to grab peoples’ attention with freebies and stickers for their name badges.  Oddly enough, the experience reminded me of my college days when I would try to recruit club members for an organization I belonged too.  Through my volunteer experience I was able to get to know many people whom I would’ve never met if it weren’t for that experience.

As you can see, I was able to experience and engage in the conference in several different ways.  By volunteering, presenting, engaging, and assisting, I was able to see what it takes to make a national conference happen.  I was able to witness the hard work and dedication of all the support staff that worked tirelessly to make the magic happen, I saw the months of preparation by presenters come to fruition as many people took part in their sessions, and most importantly, I was able to engage with a spectrum of student affairs professionals from undergraduate scholars to graduate students to seasoned administrators.  My main goals before arriving in Philadelphia was to reconnect with old friends and hopefully make new friends and also to learn more about NASPA.  I believe that those goals were met.  I ran into old RA’s and supervisors I haven’t seen  and 3 different people had to teach me how to “tweet” which in turn provided me more access to new friends in the field.  What I learned about NASPA is that it is a place where I feel like I belong.  For the first time, I felt like I was in the right place among people who held similar professional values and goals.  It was encouraging to see strangers engage in conversation about student affairs and about their journeys as professionals in this field.

A highlight for me throughout the whole conference was the opening speaker, Donna Shalala, President of Miami University.  Listening to her experiences from the Peace Corps, to being a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and about her endless devotion to improve lives of people really encouraged me to reflect on my own purpose in life.  I helped me to reaffirm why I chose to enter the field of student affairs, which is to be a contributor to the success of the future generations that will lead our country and our global community.

If someone were to ask if I would continue to attend NASPA conferences, I would wholeheartedly say yes!  It truly is an exciting time to be in the company of other professionals who can relate to you and your professional goals and also a time to redefine annual goals and recommit to the causes we value.  In closing, I wanted to say THANK YOU to NASPA and the Golden Key Honor International Society for providing me the opportunity to attend my first NASPA conference!  It truly was an amazing experience and without the generous support that I received, I would not have been able to attend.  Through my experience, I have had invaluable opportunities attending sessions, meeting new colleagues, and being able to round out my graduate experience with an exciting opportunity such as this.

Wow! What a whirlwind of a month March had been!  The NASPA 2011 conference was a wonderful opportunity and I am so incredibly thankful to have been able to participate in the sessions, networking opportunities, and social gatherings that I did! I flew to Philadelphia knowing that I wanted to be a sponge and thus came prepared to soak in all of the new experiences that I would encounter.  It was my first NASPA conference, my first trip to Philly, my first time presenting at NASPA, and my first time volunteering at NASPA.  In planning out goals for my first NASPA conference, I wanted to network with others, learn about best practices –particularly in terms of Student Affairs and faculty professional development, and gain feedback about my presentations. I am thrilled with the information that I was able to take away from Student Affairs professionals, students, and others with regards to my two presentations  “Faces and Spaces: Combating Native American ‘Transfer Swirl’” and “Family ties: A Holistic Approach to Native Student Success.”

Concerning my dissertation research, a qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of female faculty, I wanted to attend sessions highlighting the pursuit of female work-life balance. A Monday afternoon session entitled “Negotiating the Middle: Mid-career Mothers in Student Affairs ” allowed me to see work-life perspectives from not only a faculty view, but from the perspective of female Student Affairs staff. This offered a new viewpoint in my research and I was grateful for the honest, intriguing comments and perspectives from the presenters in this session.  With information from their presentation, I am moving to enhance the literature review in my dissertation proposal.

In addition, I feel that I benefitted tremendously from networking with other students, faculty, and student affairs professionals –sometimes over breakfast, sometimes over pretzels, always over coffee! I was also excited to have the opportunity to see the city of Philly –trekking with fellow students to the Liberty Bell and touring Independence Hall were experiences that I wasn’t sure I would have time for, but I’m so glad that I did! Talking with fellow students outside of the conference rooms allowed for more in-depth discussion of experiences in graduate school, which I found to be both beneficial, particularly as I was able to learn about the experiences of students from across the country, and interesting.

I really enjoyed my volunteer experiences, particularly when I volunteered in the first-time attendee lounge and later took pictures of session presenters.  I was able to see a wide span of conference sessions and speak with presenters to hear about their research interests and datasets.  I also learned what other NASPA members love about their NASPA memberships (from conference attendance discounts to networking opportunities and more) as I worked with a fellow graduate student to interview NASPA attendees in the exhibit hall and at a section of tables frequented by attendees taking coffee breaks.  With this experience, I was able to capture (on film –much to the dismay/nervousness of some respondents!) how NASPA members feel about NASPA and the NASPA mission.

Finally, I had the fantastic opportunity to listen to the motivating, forward-thinking words of amazing individuals like University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The 2011 NASPA theme of “educating for lives of purpose” was evident at the conference this year –in the sessions, the speakers, the conversations, and the presentations. The 2011 NASPA conference helped me to return to my campus feeling inspired, encouraged, and ready to take on new challenges as I move to become not only a participant in higher education, but an active contributor. I continue to bear in mind the wise words of coach Dennis Green, “The secret to success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.”

There were several sessions that I went to that were so great. Information I had never considered and listening to different perspectives rejuvenated me (aching feet and all). While observing these sessions, I must admit that I am more willing to be a future presenter. Hmmm… While engaging in a group discussion at one session on how to support undocumented students, I met a representative of the NASPA LKC groups and have since then made plans to contribute more which I am really looking forward to doing. I guess my lack of participation in the past is because I have always been unsure of what opportunities existed, and now I know.

On Tuesday morning, I gathered with hundreds of other people to hear Sarita Brown from ¡Excelencia! In Education speak about her organization and the initiatives they are implementing to help Latino students matriculate towards higher education. Talk about a powerful presentation! I left that room feeling motivated and wanting to one day be like Sarita.  ¡Excelencia! In Education overlaps a lot with the organization I work for and I am looking forward to connecting with Sarita in the future and building a stronger relationship.

Overall, my first NASPA experience was great. I learned a lot about myself, new methods of communicating with the students I work with as well as my colleagues. I sometimes forget that so much falls under the umbrella that is “higher education,” but all these areas are woven together in one way or another. This conference was helpful in reminding me to take a step back and remember why I decided to focus on higher education as my career choice. There is so much I want to do to help my students, future students, practitioners, and the field of higher education in general. I just have to remember that I am not alone and call upon others to help. It all goes back to building a stronger community for the well-being of everyone. I look forward to my next conference and now know what to expect. All I can say is: watch out Phoenix, Caroline is coming to town!

In addition, my second goal was to learn as much as I could and I think I did so. I learned a lot about myself, in the strengths and personality survey we took I learned about the way I work and how others think and act. I think this is a very helpful tool since it is important to know ones strengths and areas of improvement to better work together in groups. I learned so much about the many different graduate programs, summer internships, and possible careers in student affairs! I discovered many areas of student affairs I did not know existed and I learned about very interesting graduate programs that I am hoping to apply to next year.  Learning took place in and out of sessions constantly! Learning doesn’t always happen in a session but on your way to one or after!

The volunteer experience as a Golden Key scholar was actually fun! It was a way for me to come out of my comfort zone and interview and record different people. Many of whom I would have not probably talked to on my own. It was also interesting to just hear what folks had to say about the conference, their goal as well as their experience.

Overall, with the help of the scholarship, my mentors, and the NUFP program, I think I had an amazing NASPA experience. I learned so much, I met so many wonderful folks and I received much help and support that I had not necessarily expected. I think that higher education is a privilege, attending this conference is a privilege in itself. I hope to bring back everything I learned to my campus and to our program to enhance upon it. This experience has strengthened my commitment to the field. I am not sure yet what is next, but I am passionate, motivated and I was humbled by this opportunity!

The participants come from far and wide and all walks of life to attend this great event, I met people from all over the country and was able to expand my horizons and understanding of the structures of universities in other areas of the world. Moreover, this conference was an important process for me developmentally as it was the first time that I attended a worldwide event in my profession of interest. My volunteering experience at the conference allowed me to witness the behind the scenes workings of NASPA, I now have an even greater appreciation for everyone involved in planning and creating this spectacular conference. All I can say is “WOW!” Such passion and energy goes into the workings of such a large-scale event.  The featured workshops by Arthur Chickering and Alexander and Helen Astin were the two presentations that continue to resonate in my mind. I have been greatly influenced by the work of these researchers.  To be able to hear their firsthand accounts and shake hands with these individuals was remarkable.

Reflecting on the conference theme, “Educating for Lives of Purpose,” reminded me about the importance of this field. Education is truly an important aspect of any profession and Student Affairs exudes this importance being a key contributor towards educating the lives of all students.  My learning curve reached a high during the conference and my commitment to the field has been increased by 100%.  I cannot wait until next year.  I am already counting down the days until I can say, “Hello Arizona!”

Because I was graduating this May, I wanted to attend some of The Placement Exchange (TPE).  TPE is basically a huge student affairs professionals job market where hundreds of institutions post jobs and interview candidates in order to fill the positions they have available. TPE ran from the 9^th through 13^th.  I arrived the night of May 11^th and had schedule three interviews for May 12^th.  I must say it was amazing to see the number of employers seeking positions and the new professionals seeking to fill those roles.  On May 12^th I completed my three interviews while volunteering in between.  I also volunteered at TPE on May 13^th as well.  I only did three interviews but I must say the experience was exhausting.  I cannot imagine what the process must have been like for those who scheduled a full complement of interviews over the four days.  That being said my three interviews taught me about the variety of opportunities there are available in student affairs.  I interviewed for three unique positions in three different parts of the country: the Northeast, the Midwest, and Texas (for those of you who do not know, Texas is a region on to itself).  Every region and institutions provided their unique benefits and style that made me want to start work tomorrow even though I have to wait for them to hire me first (fingers crossed).  Vice President of Student Affairs Jonathan Eldridge at Southern Oregon University taught me about style including tie dimples and the appropriate way to button my suit jacket.  (Let us not forget NASPA Golden Key Scholarship winner Sean Johnson showing me how you wear an appropriate pocket square.)  Overall the experience was fantastic.  However working in the TPE mailroom I must comment on one thing.  Please, pretty please, with sugar on top ask employers to accept only email thank you cards.  I know the extra effort of writing the cards show how much the candidate cares but so many of those cards go to waste.  Tell them I will be their best friend if they switch.  Besides there are some really creative thank you cards that candidates can find or create themselves online that will show the same dedication.

Nothing topped my volunteering experience at the conference.  I repeat nothing.  It energized me, it kept me engaged, and it allowed me to meet new people.  On my first day I was discussing the NASPA Golden Key Scholarship and my requirement to tweet during the conference with the volunteers at the information table.  In steps Dr. Kent Smith, Dean of Students at Ohio University who was also volunteering, to provide me with his knowledge on how to use twitter to its’ full potential.  He recently began using twitter to provide information concerning his office and connect with students.  He took the time to answer all my questions and assisted me throughout the conference.  In return he has a new twitter follower (follow him at @KSmithOUVSPA) and someone who is eternally grateful for his help.  While fumbling my way through my first scholarship assignment Arlene Kidwell, NASPA Senior Director of Meetings, helped me navigate my responsibilities.  In the meantime all she did was connect me to a past president of NASPA (Dr. Powell) and other prominent members in the student affairs community while the rest of the NASPA staff made me feel like a member of the family.  Add to that the many interesting people I met while interviewing conference attendees for NASPA on the FlipCam as part of my duties, nothing was more fulfilling or engaging than volunteering.

The NASPA Annual conference as a whole can be exhausting and overwhelming while also being energizing and motivating at the same time.  I have already spoken about TPE and volunteering so I will not revisit the virtues of those again.  However the sessions were such an important aspect of the conference.  For the opening session the opening speaker and moderator for the panel discussion was President Donna E. Shalala of the University of Miami.  Dr. Shalala’s incredible journey and her ability to weave a beautiful narrative made you believe that you could accomplish anything (including navigate the Philadelphia airport).  Even more moving was the panel of professionals who were changing the world through education and service.  Their aspirations and accomplishments made you understand that we live in a global society and that higher education and student affairs are important contributors to the growth and success of that society.  I felt lucky to be connected with those panelists even though it was in the smallest of ways.  I decided to attend sessions that focused primarily on globalization, international students, and study abroad.  I was able to bring back assessment ideas and apply the experiences of others to my university.  To me it was not just the conference presenters who did a wonderful job in adding to the knowledge base of the profession, but also the participants in the sessions that were so wonderful.  We exchanged ideas and cards, talked about our on campus experiences, and in our short time together shared our solutions to the wide range of problems we face each and every day.

When I left Philadelphia I do not believe that I had ever wanted to be a student affairs professional more than that day.  I was able to meet all the NASPA Golden Key Scholarship winners from around the country and learn more about their journey and their future goals.  They are truly an amazing talented group of students.  I was able to see all the exciting things people are doing in student affairs with globalization, social justice, and professional development.  Last but not least I learned how much of a family student affairs and higher education is.  I meet so many people who are where I want to be in their careers who were willing to talk, engage, and lend advice.  It was so heartwarming and motivating and truly one of the best experiences I have ever had.

With all of this I bid you goodbye, at least concerning this blog and NASPA 2011 in Philadelphia.  Hopefully I will see you in the future at NASPA or at the new organization’s conference if we consolidate.  But hopefully it will be in another capacity, while we are both changing the world for the better.  Thank you NASPA and Golden Key for giving me this opportunity.  I am forever indebted and look forward to serving the profession for years to come.

Tuesday morning when I attended Drs. Alexander and Helen Astin’s session, How College Can Enhance Students’ Search for Meaning and Purpose. In this session, the Astins’ shared their research findings from a 7 year study of undergraduates about how students engage in a quest for spirituality during college. Again, I was moved by several specific statements:

• More than half of college students say finding their purpose in life is a very important part of their college education.
• Students expect college to facilitate their spiritual quest.
• 6 in 10 students say that professors never encourage spiritual conversation or conversations about meaning and purpose.
• Our academic work has ignored and possibly inhibited students’ exploration of purpose and meaning.

As I made note of these specific statements, I recalled that my own career aspirations were inherently tied to my spirituality and search for meaning. I could not consider one without the other. Therefore it was my own search for purpose and meaning that lead me to the field of student affairs. I did not choose this field lightly, but with deep consideration that my calling lies in helping students find their purpose and passion.

Now only one year into my graduate program, I don’t think I had completely forgotten that but it certainly has not been in the forefront of my mind. Nonetheless, my own academic work has allowed me to forget the spiritual element that lead me to this profession in the first place. With this realization, I was reminded 1) of the origins of my purpose and calling to the field of student affairs and 2) that if I ever want students to “achieve dreams that go beyond material acquisition”, I must serve students holistically by encouraging and engaging them in conversations of spirituality, religion, and quest for meaning.

It has been approximately 25 days since I entered the Philadelphia Airport, said goodbye to all of the connections and friends I made at the conference, and flew back home to Seattle. And since then, it’s been a crazy ride. I came home to 30 yet-to-be-written pages of papers for our Winter Quarter finals, a 40-hour work week for Spring Break and plenty of planning to do around future club events. It seems as if I have barely had time to sit down and process everything about the conference. I keep telling everyone I know that it was a phenomenal experience, merely because I don’t know how else to put it into words. The one thing I know for sure is that my attendance at the conference cemented by passion for students affairs; I know now what my purpose and future vocation is, and I cannot wait to begin graduate school in a few years.

That being said, most if not all of my conference attendance goals were achieved. I came to the conference with the belief that student affairs was also a space for advocacy and activism around social justice and queer and trans issues, and through the sessions I attended, my belief was supported. The work that is being done in Student Affairs around social justice and with underrepresented students is very admirable, and I felt that I had found a community of like-minded individuals at the conference who are willing to ask the tough questions and work to address the needs of each and every student, no matter their story or identity. Knowing that I am going to enter into a field full of individuals in service of others is definitely one of the greatest takeaways of the conference.

I also came to the conference with the hope of limiting my search for graduate schools and creating important networks with professionals. This goal was fully realized through all the receptions, workshops and knowledge community meetings I managed to attend. I came back with a book full of business cards and have already begun to email individuals about grad school questions. I have even have managed to pick at least three grad schools that I definitely want to apply to because of their emphasis on diversity and social justice. I’m so excited to be a part of Student Affairs!

The NASPA conference itself was such a whirlwind. Rushing from session to session, reception to reception, trying to be an amoeba and absorb everything that was thrown at me. It is pretty much the description of my college years; I have experienced almost every Student Affairs department at Seattle University in the work that I have done and I have managed to take little gems of wisdom from each experience.

I have one more quarter left in my undergraduate year (which sounds crazy to me!), and every time that I used to think about it, a wave of anxiety/fear/unsettling passed over me. But now after having attended the conference and knowing what awaits me in the coming years, I look forward to the end of my undergraduate career with overwhelming excitement. One Annual NASPA Conference down, so many more to come!!!