PERSON-ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS
As someone who has always wanted to help, I find person-environment congruence, as described by Strange & Banning (2015), within student affairs and residence life. In reflection during graduate school, I have looked back on my career in student affairs and have realized that this field was always something meant for me, even if I did not know it. As a first-year RA, my motivations were merely the room and board scholarship, although I had the expectation of networking and making connections on campus. However, in reflection, I realize that my motivation to do this work was because I have a passion for the student experience and I find value in college student development. Looking back as far as high school, I realize that my motivations for being a part of student council and other leadership opportunities were relevant to this work. Overall, my goal as a student affairs professional is to create equitable pathways for students to experience college in ways that is supportive and developmental for their academics and personal growth. With this context in mind, the following sections will describe my attraction, satisfaction, and stability within the Office of Residence Life as defined by Strange & Banning (2015).
ATTRACTION
Overall, I find attraction within my assistantship and work in Residence Life. Given my passion for student growth and development, it is thrilling to be a part of a student's journey. Furthermore, I find it interesting and exciting how students are able to learn even when they do not realize it, like in informal learning spaces or simply by living on campus. Additionally, it is enjoyable to work with student staff who emulate strong characteristics of future leaders. I enjoy being able to curate the RA or CUE role for student staff members whose interests may not lie in student affairs. One area of my job where I do not find attraction is the large size and scale of IU. Coming from a mid-sized liberal arts college, acclimating to IU and its immense size and power was challenging. However, I have found ways to make the institution feel smaller for me by focusing on my loci of control and adjusting my expectations for making institutional-wide impacts during my short time in graduate school.
SATISFACTION
In looking for graduate programs and potential future employers, I knew that satisfaction with my assistantship was going to be a priority for me. Aspects of satisfaction that I was looking for included a well-known institution, a larger campus population and residence life department, and professional development opportunities. I sought a well-known institution to increase my prospects of future employment at other large universities, and I wanted to challenge myself by entering an environment that I was not familiar with. These attributes, although challenging, have been realized through my assistantship in the Office of Residence Life and contribute to my satisfaction. Additionally, my desire to network with other professionals and experience professional development has also been achieved. I am grateful to be able to attend regional conferences and even have the opportunity to present a session with the full financial and department support from Residence Life.
STABILITY
The Office of Residence Life has provided a sense of stability in my assistantship that positively impacts my attraction, satisfaction, and overall person-environment congruence. Throughout my assistantship, I have felt supported by both supervisors and professors who demonstrate a commitment to my well being. This support is demonstrated when supervisors give grace and understanding toward my role as a student and when professors understand my unique challenges as a staff member. This shifting dynamic between the academic and professional side of my experience give me a sense of stability, as I know that making a mistake in one area will not jeopardize my entire experience.
Unlike some other Assistant Coordinators, I did not stay in the same residence center from my first year to my second year in the assistantship. Although this could feel destabilizing to some, and in many ways a move is destabilizing in the moment, moving to a new residence center was an exciting opportunity for me. Although I enjoyed the time and experience I had in my first year, it has been exciting to meet new supervisors, student staff, and campus partners through working in a different part of campus. Furthermore, I switched from working with 1200 students and over 30 professional and student staff members to working with 170 students and directly supervising five student staff members. In fact, this move increased my sense of stability as working with a new group of students helps to prevent burnout and fatigue in student affairs.