Portfolio Narrative DescriptionAs I enter the final months of the Seattle University Student Development Administration program, I am continually reflecting on my experiences and growth as a result of the program. The most important content I have learned from the program has come primarily from two courses. The first impactful course was SDAD578: Student Development Theory, Research, and Practice. Beyond learning more about foundational theory, I was exposed to contemporary research that shaped my perspective and practice. I have and will continue to utilize Yossos (2005) theory of community cultural wealth along with contemporary identity development theories and Critical Race Theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012) to better serve marginalized student populations. The other critically impactful course has been AEDT5100: Course Design from which I have developed a deeper and more nuanced understanding around creating comprehensive significant learning experiences (Fink, 2013). As a result of my experiences in the program, I have learned a tremendous amount about myself as a person and as an educator. Most importantly I have become more comfortable and confident in naming and examining my salient dominant identities. I have been pushed to own who I am as a means to improve my cultural responsiveness, cultural humility, and effectiveness as a social justice educator. I now have a clearer view of what it means to be a White, cis, heterosexual male and how best to leverage my privilege to work toward justice and equity in education as well as the broader world. I believe I am now a more humble, empathic, patient, and critical educator that is better prepared to assist students in their own social justice journeys. I am incredibly appreciative for the opportunities to take on multiple internships while in the SDA program. My first experience was a 200-hour internship working with the college persistence team at the educational non-profit, College Access Now. My time with CAN gave me new insights about college pathways, additional experience in research, assessment, and program design, and increased exposure to the strengths and needs of local low-income, first generation college students. I am proud of my contributions to the persistence team but am more appreciative of the collaborative work we created together. My second internship had been with conduct at the University of Puget Sound where I have worked on assessment and course design. Working with the conduct team has been an educative experience where I have continually learned more about effective behavioral interventions, relevant policies, regulations, and laws, and how data can be used to improve outcomes for all involved in the conduct process.My experience as the graduate assistant for intercultural assessment and leadership at the University of Puget Sound has been incredible and impactful for my development. I have had the opportunity to conduct research, create assessments and analyze data, and develop a new transition program aimed at improving educational outcomes for minoritized students. From day one, I was made to feel as a full part of the division and important member of the team. The positive culture at Puget Sound is something I will look to replicate in the future. While I came into the program with multiple years of professional experience, I am leaving with a greater set of tools and knowledge to improve systems and practice in order to better serve students. In my next professional role, I will be bringing a deep critical and theoretical framework from which to improve our collective practices. I have developed a more informed critical consciousness and deeper understanding of my own privileges, which will allow me to be a more responsive, empathic, and effective educator. My primary critique of the SDA program revolves around staying current with the contemporary needs of the profession. As the SDA masters program is conceptualized as mainly a practitioner-focused program, I believe there is a need to require or at least consistently offer a course around assessment and evaluation. The profession is placing increased emphasis on outcomes and is being asked to show exactly how our programs and services contribute to learning and institutional goals. Assessment and evaluation are critical competencies for student development practitioners and should be a part of the program of study. Having gone through a Jesuit student development program has helped me better understand the power of educators in developing students holistically to be leaders for others for the common good. The use of reflection in learning and the unrelenting focus on social justice will continue to guide my approach as an educator, a leader, and a person in the future.

ReferencesDelgado, R. & Stefancic, J. (2012). Critical race theory: An introduction. New York, NY: NYU Press.Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approachto Designing College Courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion ofcommunity cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 6991.