An
Introduction
to My
Professional Development Plan:

My
“Why” Statement

In the last five and a half years that I’ve been involved in the housing and residence life field, I’ve been extremely lucky to access numerous opportunities for professional development and personal growth. For example, in only the past year and a half, I’ve acted as a Graduate Supervisor (GS) at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB), I’ve interned with IUB’s Director of Residence Life, and I’ve been able to continue supporting Resident Assistants (RAs) and other student leaders after spending three years as an RA myself at my undergraduate institution. In all of these positions, I’ve practiced applying the valuable knowledge that I have gained from my time in IUB’s Higher Education and Student Affairs master’s program. I’m honored and privileged to have had the chance to participate in these experiences, which have influenced not only how I think about myself as a leader, but which have also helped me to discover more about who I am and who I want to become as a human and as a professional.

 

As my graduate career comes to an end, and I look towards my future career, I look forward to the joys and challenges that come with forming new connections, navigating and potentially improving upon the practices of new institutions, as well as further cultivating my understanding of the different elements of a student’s collegiate life. To be successful in doing these things, I have identified one focus area within each ACPA/NASPA Competency, and described both a short-term and a long-term goal which I feel will keep me on track to continue to learn and practice in each of these areas. These goals express my plan for growth, outline the new experiences that I hope to gain, provide examples which help to show how I view professional development, and more. Altogether, this acts as my professional development plan.