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Running head: ANALYSIS & ACTION PLAN Villanova 1

Stephaine Villanova

Loyola University Chicago

Analysis & Action Plan

When reflecting on the knowledge, skills, and competencies I have to

practice in the field of higher education, a few come to mind. The first is
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from Dr. Ellen Meents- De Caigny, my professor for the elective American

College Student. The main theme from this class was: behind every face is a

story. This theme relates to having compassion, empathy, and an open mind

in the field. For example, before this course, I had limited knowledge and

experience with community colleges. Growing up with parents who wanted a

better life for me I often heard that community colleges were not good

enough and were for students who could not get into a real college. Our

college counselors never brought up community colleges as options and no

City of Chicago Colleges were present at our college fairs. This course

shattered what I thought I knew about community colleges. We toured

Harold Washington College and learned the community college system. It

was a rude awakening that, as someone who tries not to discriminate, I still

have internalized biases. I was reminded that behind every face of students,

no matter where they came from or what school they attended, is a story

worth learning. I have come to have a greater appreciation for truly being

curious and wanting to hear a persons story with an open mind from this

course and will use empathy, compassion when doing so.

The second is from Dr. J. Corey Steele in Multicultural Counseling. I

learned about various ways to approach counseling students with different

identities in addition to addressing our own biases and being aware of how

our identities show up in spaces. I appreciated our readings because they

gave many narratives of students with different identities and case studies

so that we could practice in class. We learned various active listening skills,


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as well, and were able to act them out in small clusters. Thinking about

counseling in higher education is easily seen in many functional areas,

particularly high school and college counseling. Listening to our students

and their struggles, stories, experiences, and dreams are important to do

actively. If we are half listening, or worse not listening at all, this can be

detrimental to our students and their efficacy. Additionally, we had many

reflections after watching the entire Color of Fear documentary in class. As

professionals, we must be aware of our identities and biases and how they

can affect an interaction with our students. This also came up in Student

Development Theory and Leadership in Higher Education. We must be

mindful of our language, nonverbal expressions, traditions, and practices so

that we do not isolate or ostracize any students. Putting in the time to

reflect on any dominant narrative or heteronormative sayings or practices we

engage in can be one action step to preventing any harm when interacting

with students or professionals from backgrounds different from our own.

Action steps to ensure that I live out these learned skills and values

come in the form of continued commitment through goal setting and

professional development. Goal setting is something that my graduate

assistantship emphasizes. Being specific, having measurable goals, yet

leaving room for fluidity will hold me accountable. Setting personal and

professional goals with my supervisor and with a close friend will be helpful

to separate my work-life balance. Additionally, my personality jives well with

professional conferences. I adore learning from and alongside thousands of


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individuals from all over the field as much as I do in a 20 person train-the-

trainer social justice workshop. One action step that I can take is asking

what potential employers think about professional development, if funds or

in-house conferences or trainings exist, and ways to be involved in any

campus committees. I would want to be at an institution that values my

personal and professional development so taking full advantage of all an

institution has to offer will be a critical action step.

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