"The Personal Foundations competency area involves the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to maintain emotional, physical, social, environmental, relational, spiritual, and intellectual wellness; be self-directed and self-reflective; maintain excellence and integrity in work; be comfortable with ambiguity; be aware of one's own areas of strength and growth; have a passion for work; and remain curious." (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 24).
As I have progressed through the CSP program, it is clear that Personal Foundations is an area that I would describe as proficient. I have realized how imperative it is to have this competency, because without it, I could not function at my highest level or greatest ability. One thing that has been very important to me is work life balance. I don’t always find myself doing this, but I have realized its importance and how I need to do this. Finding a supervisor or role model for this has been difficult, because everyone I know gives it his or her all 24/7. I have learned to step back and take some time for myself, or else my students do not get the best me.
One way I did this was to really spend the summer doing something different. I have my degree in middle childhood education and absolutely love teaching and the young ones. One day, I do hope to go back to teaching and to working with middle school students. After a long and tough first year at my assistantship, I decided to spend the summer doing something working with children. I was able to be a part of the staff of Junior Discovery at Georgetown. This program is for middle school students from around the country and around the world for 3 weeks out of the summer. I was so lucky to have been placed at Georgetown in Washington, D.C. First of all, my love of colleges was evident as I walked around campus and took in the history of the oldest Catholic university. Second, I was in heaven by meeting so many amazing students from around the world. I had never met someone from Brazil or Argentina, and it was so neat to learn their culture and customs, as well as their excitement for America.
During the summer, I not only was able to work with these students, but able to explore the sites and scenes of Washington, D.C., which I had never traveled to before. Having this history and experience was so wonderful and refreshing, and it totally renewed my sense of self, coming into my second year. I also had other experiences with family and friends that summer that made me realize that I am a person with interests and hobbies, as well as emerging student affairs professional. I realized that I needed to be able to do both of those things at one time and the importance of the balance.
My values are very important to me and reflect the work that I do daily. They seep into the work I do with students, the way I treat others, and how I think about myself. One of my values is love and it is so very important to me to show this to everyone. I have been fortunate enough in my life to have some wonderful role models who show love everywhere, and I try to model the love they give to me. Love is beyond caring for someone in need or “loving your neighbor”, but it is in the way I interact with my staff and other coworkers as friends, and it is how I treat my residents.
My absolute favorite song is “Hands” by Jewel, which talks about how kindness is the only thing that matters in the end. I try my hardest to live by this and reflect it in my work, just as I do love. And music in general is really important to me. I put music to a lot of situations, and bring in music with my staff at times.
VALUES
One way I did this was to really spend the summer doing something different. I have my degree in middle childhood education and absolutely love teaching and the young ones. One day, I do hope to go back to teaching and to working with middle school students. After a long and tough first year at my assistantship, I decided to spend the summer doing something working with children. I was able to be a part of the staff of Junior Discovery at Georgetown. This program is for middle school students from around the country and around the world for 3 weeks out of the summer. I was so lucky to have been placed at Georgetown in Washington, D.C. First of all, my love of colleges was evident as I walked around campus and took in the history of the oldest Catholic university. Second, I was in heaven by meeting so many amazing students from around the world. I had never met someone from Brazil or Argentina, and it was so neat to learn their culture and customs, as well as their excitement for America.
During the summer, I not only was able to work with these students, but able to explore the sites and scenes of Washington, D.C., which I had never traveled to before. Having this history and experience was so wonderful and refreshing, and it totally renewed my sense of self, coming into my second year. I also had other experiences with family and friends that summer that made me realize that I am a person with interests and hobbies, as well as emerging student affairs professional. I realized that I needed to be able to do both of those things at one time and the importance of the balance.
My values are very important to me and reflect the work that I do daily. They seep into the work I do with students, the way I treat others, and how I think about myself. One of my values is love and it is so very important to me to show this to everyone. I have been fortunate enough in my life to have some wonderful role models who show love everywhere, and I try to model the love they give to me. Love is beyond caring for someone in need or “loving your neighbor”, but it is in the way I interact with my staff and other coworkers as friends, and it is how I treat my residents.
My absolute favorite song is “Hands” by Jewel, which talks about how kindness is the only thing that matters in the end. I try my hardest to live by this and reflect it in my work, just as I do love. And music in general is really important to me. I put music to a lot of situations, and bring in music with my staff at times.
VALUES