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Running head: FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 1
Final Analysis and Reflection: Guardian Scholars Program Fieldwork
Evelyn Panilla
California State University, Fullerton
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 2
Fieldwork Setting and Experience
As a program specialist with the Guardian Scholars Program at California State
University, Fullerton (CSUF), my primary role has included: creating a process for the John
Burton Foundation scholarship opportunities, planning and facilitating the First Year Seminars,
and meeting with students in academic coaching sessions. As new opportunities were presented
to my supervisor, I took on the task to recruit scholars within our center for a scholarship
opportunity from the President’s office to fund some of the expenses for Intersession 2015
programs. The space provided for my fieldwork and position as a whole is a desk and office
spaced, shared with the other staff member who sees students for academic coaching sessions
and programming.
Learning Contract
The learning contract my supervisor and I originally signed discussed learning outcomes
and goals targeting students interested in Graduate School. Soon after signing the contract, a
new opportunity was presented to my supervisor, to be a pilot for a new implementation of a
high impact practice. High impact practices as defined in the High Impact Matrix on the CSU
Fullerton website are “transformational learning opportunities inside and outside of the
classroom” (High Impact Practices Assessment and Evaluation, 2015).
Intended Learning Outcome Result
As previously mentioned, the learning outcomes I originally outlined for the Graduate
School Planning were not followed due to the unforeseen change in fieldwork project focus.
However, the John Burton Foundation Scholarship, planning and facilitating the First Year
Seminars, and meeting with students in academic coaching sessions still were responsibilities I
maintained throughout the semester, and the results are detailed below.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 3
John Burton Foundation Scholarships. According to the Burton Foundation website,
the foundation “works state-wide to improve the quality of life for California’s foster, former
foster and homeless youth” (John Burton Foundation, 2015). This year, we not only offered the
Burton Book Fund as the center has in previous years, but we also facilitated the Gift Card
Program, the Laptop Competition Essay, and the Critical Needs Fund. The John Burton
Foundation resources are critical to our office, especially for the former foster youth who visit
our center who are not Guardian Scholars. In Appendix A, the number of students who
participated in the different funds and a description of the programs are found.
In sending applications, I was exposed with all of the legalities that come with being
identified as a former foster youth and the obstacles they encounter as a student navigating the
university. Meeting with the students shed light on their very intimate perspective of the
struggles that come with being a student and not having the same support systems other students
do. Moreover, the technicalities of being a student that qualifies for funding through different
sources can get complicated and frustrating for our students. I found that many students have to
miss out on opportunities for funding and resources because of the specifics of their cases, the
relationships to their foster families, or their ties to their biological families—all of which are
considerations that add to my passion for working with my students.
First Year Seminars. After the initial retreat on August 8th, they began a bi-weekly
series of seminars with guest speakers on different topics to aid them in creating successful
habits in college. The students, while all 1st years, are very different and complex in their own
ways. Of the 10 students, 6 are incoming 1st years, 4 of which live on campus, 2 are continuing
2nd year students, 2 are transfer students, and 2 are parents. The diversity among these students
proved to be a welcomed-challenge in addressing all of their needs. This semester, the syllabus
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 4
was planned and vetted by our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) liaison and my
supervisor. Next semester, however, the syllabus, agenda, and learning objectives will all be
created and facilitated by me. Therefore, I am in the process of developing engaging and
informative seminars that can be made applicable to everyone. As cited in Student Development
in College: Theory, Research and Practice, Schlossberg’s Transition Model, in transition, it is
important to support students through different means. The students in the seminars are all
experiencing their own transitions, and the purpose of the seminars is to arm the students with
resources so they can strive towards success (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, and Renn, 2010). In
Appendix B, the Syllabus for Fall 2016 shows the different topics covered and campus partners
that we collaborated with.
Through this experience, I have learned about the challenges that come with
collaborating with others and the politics of partnerships. With the students, I learned about the
importance of creating meaningful and engaging agendas and topics and look forward to
planning the seminars in the spring.
Academic Coaching Sessions. The academic coaching sessions are program
requirements (Appendix C) designed to keep students on track, engaged, and gauge progress of
students on an individual level. As found in Helping Former Foster Youth Graduate from
College Campus Support Programs in California and Washington State, students really enjoy
having one-on-one time with support staff (Dworsky and Pérez, pg. 40).
There are two academic coaches in the center, and we each have a caseload of 22-23
students and talk about everything from academics, to health, and referring to other campus and
outside resources.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 5
Some students I met with on a more regular basis because they are deemed on academic
probation for the program if they earn less than a 2.5 GPA overall. While I came into this
position with some general advising experience, this position is very different in the type of
conversations we have with students. Academic coaching sessions can be more intimate and
therefore sometimes require conversations about visiting CAPS or having further discussion with
other staff members. The meetings with them have inspired me to look into the advising
positions in the future.
Unintentional Learning Outcomes
The President’s Strategic Fund Study Abroad/Study Away Opportunity. This
opportunity turned out to be a very eye opening experience in regards to how a project is handed
down to a department. According to CSUFs’ High Impact Practice Matrix, participating in the
Study Abroad/Study Away initiative would correspond with “meaningful and substantive
learning interactions with faculty, staff, students or external entities”, “opportunities to
experience diversity, complexity, and change”, and “opportunities for experiential learning”
(High Impact Practices Assessment and Evaluation, 2015). Because of the developments we
encountered as a center and under the direction of both my fieldwork instructor and supervisor, I
changed my fieldwork project from what was outlined on the contract to the President’s Strategic
Fund Study Abroad/Study Away Scholarship Opportunity along with the other responsibilities of
my position as the Program Specialist for the Guardian Scholar Program. The initiative allocated
funds to award students who historically have not participated in Study Abroad opportunities
because they identify as low-income and first generation, to partake in 1 of 10 selected study
abroad or study away programs. I took it on and was tasked with creating an intake process,
meeting with students and identifying which of the 10 programs funded were for them, and
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 6
processing their application. I created a flyer (Appendix D), met with students, and
communicated with faculty about their programs, however the task turned out to be more
difficult than originally planned.
First, the initiative was not thoroughly planned before implementation. The students had
many questions about costs, what would be covered, and logistics—all of which I had no
answers to. Second, the programs selected were all run through different departments with no
collaboration. It was difficult to support students interested in programs when they all had
different requirements, deadlines, and costs. This became especially difficult as students found
that some programs had more remaining costs than others. Third, the programs were not all
inclusive of all students. Some programs were very major or class standing specific, creating a
sense of inequity. Lastly, the scholarship application requirements may have steered potential
applicants away from applying due to items like the GPA requirement. Since the target
demographic was low-income, first generation students, there could have been more holistic
support in the application process. As cited by Adrianna Kezar, MaryBeth Walpole, and Laura
Pena in Student Engagement in Higher Education, it is important to both “eliminate GPA
requirements for such experiences as study abroad that can hinder low-income students’
eligibility for participation” and “reduce financial barriers to obtaining necessary services and
participating in essential programs” (pg. 251-252). Appendix E shows the number of students
interested and the reasoning for which they did not apply, which resonates with the statements
cited.
Evaluation of Site Experience
In my short time with the Guardian Scholars, I have seen definite growth in my
professional development. The program is growing in many ways, and of the 4 people that serve
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 7
the Guardian Scholars students; the director and myself were new in our roles. The changes the
center has undergone has caused this experience to not always be clear or easy, but it has been a
process I have welcomed and embraced wholeheartedly. In this experience, I have seen many
parallels to the content we are learning in class and with what I experience at my fieldwork site.
For example, learning about the changes in other offices on campus show me that movement is
happening in many areas and departments at CSUF. Moreover, I have personally developed in
areas of being able to multi-task and am readily available for interacting with students and
balancing other responsibilities.
Since becoming a part of the Guardian Scholars team, I have noticed that my experience
in learning about different cultures, social structures of oppression, and identities, has helped me
feel very prepared and confident in having these conversations with my students. Professionally,
my supervisor has given me the opportunity to attend two conferences and will support my
attendance to the ACPA National Convention in March of next year and look forward to the
continued development and exposure to professional networks I will be a part of.
Training
Since getting hired, I have undergone training about resources on campus, the history of
institutions supporting former foster youth, how to support veterans and students who are
currently in the military, and how to support students with disabilities. While I enjoy the
different areas I have learned about, I still think I need ample training in the areas of crisis
management and how to respond to individuals who are in need of more specific, urgent
attention. This training would not only benefit my position with the Guardian Scholars, I would
consider it an added foundation for any interaction with both colleagues and students in the
future.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 8
Introduction and Orientation
While there are four of us serving the Guardian Scholars students, it is only a portion of
the students being served within the Center for Scholars. The fact that we are understaffed often
means that there is a need to jump in and get a job done for the sake of the operation of the
center. Furthermore, the director was also new to the role after being in a different position on
campus throughout the last year. Because of this, the direction and support I needed were
sometimes not clear or stable. However, these situations have shown me that offices,
departments, and even institutions are not always going to be stable or consistent. In fact,
comparing where we were in the beginning of the semester and were we are now, I see that with
instability and inconsistency comes change.
View of Student in Setting
As I mentioned above, it has not always been easy to figure out where I stand or fit in
when it comes to program dynamics. My newness mixed in with the fact that I can only take on
so much due to my 20-hour weekly limit forces me to be very strategic with where I allocate my
time. Overall, my experience with the Guardian Scholars has been very welcoming and
transparent. Transparency is something my supervisor provides that I appreciate because it gives
me the perspective and viewpoint of the types of decisions and conversations she has at that
level. I believe all other staff members do their best to be as available they can be with me, and
this makes the process of learning the new space easier and less intimidating.
Suggestions
If my fieldwork supervisor were to take on another graduate student to conduct
fieldwork, I would suggest that it wait until all the new positions are filled. As of now, the center
is in the process of hiring one new staff member to take on one of the other scholarship programs
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 9
in the center, but growth is still expected in the spring. Because of the movement, on-boarding
that will be occurring, and the changes that all staff members will continue to see in their
workload and responsibilities, I would say that it would be best to hold off until the student can
come into a more stable setting with specific tasks that are uniquely theirs.
Areas of Growth
At my fieldwork site, there are two specific growth areas I see for myself in the
upcoming semester. First, social justice topics are not widely conversed or discussed in the
center. The students in the program have all been though hardships and sometimes, traumatic
experiences. While it is important to keep in mind the triggers students might encounter when
having difficult conversations about race, social class, oppression, and violence, I think it can
also be a source of empowerment for students. While I do not know the answer to this
predicament yet, I do believe we should, at the very least, promote and attend programs our
campus partners who discuss these issues, such as the Diversity Initiative and Resource Centers
(DIRC) hold. Secondly, as my time at with the Guardian Scholars approaches the end, I believe
I need to make more time to discuss my professional development with my supervisor. Even
though we do meet to discuss progress, advice, and feedback, it is often times very program
related, and I know I would benefit from having discussions that are more focused on my future.
In Beginning your Journey: A Guide for New Professionals in Student Affairs, the concluding
chapter states, “Mentors focus on your success and provide you with opportunities to learn and
grow by doing and observing” (Ellis, 269With this, I hope that I can continue to be healthily
challenged in my position. I know that as long as I keep my goals in mind and vocalize my
needs, I will have the ability to excel in my position and beyond.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 10
References
Amey, M. J., & Reesor, L. M. (Eds.). Beginning your journey: A guide for new professionals in
student affairs (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Education (NASPA).
About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2015, from
http://www.johnburtonfoundation.org/index.php/about-us
Dworsky, A. & Pérez, A. (2009). Helping former foster youth graduate from college: Campus
support programs in California and Washington State. Chicago: Chapin Hall at the
University of Chicago
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student
development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2015, from http://www.fullerton.edu/HIP/matrix/
Quaye, S. J., & Harper, S. R. (Eds.). (2014). Student engagement in higher education:
Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations (2nd ed.). New
York, NY: Routledge.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 11
Appendix A
John Burton Foundation Program Recipients
Program and Overview Number of Recipients
Burton Book Fund: Provides students with $350 for one academic school year 33Gift Card Program: Provides first year students with gift card to go towards school-related expenses
11
Laptop Competition Essay: Provides applicants with new laptop after submission of essay (What inspired you to go to college?)
4
Critical Needs Funds: Provides students with up to $700 of emergency funds to go towards any expenses that are detrimental to the students’ college experience
6
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 12
Appendix B
First Year Seminar Fall 2016 Syllabus
Date Topic Presenters
8/8/15 First Year Student Retreat GS Staff
8/31/15 Making Positive Choices Dr. Toriz
9/28/15 The Importance of Self-Care Dr. Toriz
10/12/15 Utilizing Your Strengths Deanna Merino-Contion
1026/15 Finding Your Balance Student Health and Counseling Center, Jovannys Mejia
11/9/15 Study Skills & Interaction with Faculty Dr. Jason Sexton
11/16/15 Maintaining Positive Relationships Dr. Toriz
12/7/15 Holiday Celebration & Getting Involved Student Life and Leadership, Tim Alexander
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 13
Appendix C
Guardian Scholars Program Semester Requirements
Guardian Scholars Program Program Semester Requirements
Name: ___________________ CWID: ____________________
Requirement: Met?
Minimum 2.5 GPA
Meet 2 times with Director and 1 time with Academic Coach
Attend all Education Level Workshops
Attend all mandatory program events
Attend all monthly meetings
2 Community Service events
Ed. Coach Signature: __________________________ Date: ____________
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 14
Appendix D
President’s Strategic Fund Study Abroad/Study Away Flyer
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 15
Appendix E
President’s Strategic Fund Study Abroad/Study Away Interested Students Form
Student Program Interested In Status
Student A Spain/Vietnam
Interested, but concerned about the $2000 remaining cost and whether it is worth it to spend that amount of money for so little time. Also cannot commit to time frame the students are expected to travel
Student B Germany Germany program full
Student C Spain/MexicoDid not apply due to remaining costs that scholarship does not cover
Student D Spain/MexicoWorried about remaining costs that scholarship does not cover
Student E Mexico Applied
Student F Mexico Remaining expenses too high
Student G MexicoDecided against because she wants to pursue other study abroad opportunities
Student H Spain No student follow-up
Student I Spain No student follow-up
Student J Vietnam applied
Student K SpainDecided against because she wants to pursue other study abroad opportunities
Student L Vietnam/SpainDecided against because she wants to pursue other study abroad opportunities
Student M Spain Applied
Student N No student follow-up
Student O Germany Does not receive Pell Grant
Student PDecided against because she wants to pursue other study abroad opportunities
Student Q Has not continued communication
Student R GermanyInterested in program we did not collaborate with, that is also already full
Student S No SpecificationEmail question only; no further correspondence
Student T Vietnam applied
Student U Spain Applied
FINAL ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION 16
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