Summer Fellowships for Vocational ExplorationCenter for Service and Community Engagement

Amy Bergstrom | SDAD 5650December 5, 2014

Roadmap

Seattle University

CSCE

Summer Fellowship

s

Vocational Exploratio

n & Meaning Making

What I Learned

Seattle UniversitySeattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world.• 2012 Presidential Award for community service• 2013 U.S. News and World Report list of top 25 schools for service-learning• 78% of students take a service-learning class during their Seattle University experience

Center for Service and Community Engagement

Connecting classroom, campus, and community

“When the heart is touched by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change.” – Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.Student engagement programs are scaffolded, developmental, and integrated

CSCE Student Engagement

Labor of LoveNew Student Immersions

Serve Seattle

Short-term volunteer

Weeklong immersions

Service-learning

Jumpstart Corps member

Just Serve memberWork study

Long-term volunteer

Jumpstart leader

Partners for Action and Community

Just Serve director

Fellowships

Advocacy skills training

2+ years in leadership programs

Awareness Dissonance & Re-evaluation

Integration Long-Term Commitment

Labor of Love

New Student Immersions

Serve Seattle

Short-term volunteer

Weeklong immersions

Service-learning

Jumpstart Corps member

Just Serve member

Work study

Long-term volunteer

Jumpstart leader

Partners for Action and Community

Just Serve director

Advocacy skills training

Fellowships

2+ years in leadership programs

Work Plan ObjectivesDevelop skills in facilitating

group reflection and

dialogue

Develop skills in advising

and supervising

student leadersUnderstand

the organization of a complex

student program

The Fellowship Program

Group dialogue

4 new-student projects

7 internships +one-on-ones

Vocational Exploration

Think back to when you were entering your junior or senior year of college.

How did you understand your vocation? How did you feel about it?

The Fellows’ Goals for the Summer• Better idea of type of organization to work for• Take on more challenging projects• Learn about culture of an organization• Do things wholeheartedly• Balance between discerning future plans for self as

well as learning about organization• Learn new skills• Understand an organization’s role in a larger issue• How professional interests and justice areas intersect• How just relationships come about• Explore a different justice issue

Exploring Vocation Together• Read Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer• Group conversations • One-on-ones

“It’s hard to look at your own life and see a meaningful journey.”

“I began to value the importance of questions rather than answers.”“The meetings turned into moments of relief; we all don’t know what we’re doing.”

“The main thing to take away is that I have a lot left to think about.”

“I learned a lot, but not what I was expecting to learn.”

“What do I want to feel that passionate about?”

Making Meaning of Vocation• Chickering’s (1969*) vectors of identity development• Developing competence• Establishing identity• Developing purpose

• Baxter Magolda’s (2001*) theory of self-authorship• Trusting the inner voice• Building an internal foundation• Securing internal commitments

* As cited in Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010

Making Meaning of Vocation• Schlossberg’s (1995*) transition theory

• Moving in, moving through, moving out

• The 4 S’s• Situation: Trigger, timing, control, role change• Self: Personal characteristics, psychological

resources• Support: Types, functions, measurement• Strategies: Modify, control meaning, manage stress* As cited in Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn,

2010

SDA Learning Outcomes• LO#2: Understanding

students and student issues

• LO#6: Developing and demonstrating skills in leadership and collaboration

• LO#8: Communicating effectively in speech and in writing

What I Take Away• Complex program• Intense relationship-building• Frequent student wrangling• Frustration and so much joy

“I’ve never been so reflective in my life.”

References

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010).

Studentdevelopment in college: Theory, research, and practice. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.