Running head: NARRATIVE REFLECTION 1

Narrative Reflection

Joshua Jarvi

Loyola University Chicago

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Throughout my time in the Higher Education program at Loyola University Chicago

(LUC), I have demonstrated a strong dedication to theory and practice by putting my best foot

forward in the classroom setting and serving in three different roles to gain experience prior to

graduation. This program has challenged me to think more critically about the way I approach

student affairs, and how to best serve students with an underlying basis of social justice. I have

been able to take courses with extremely dedicated and diverse faculty members and meet

influential professionals in the field of student affairs. My time in the Higher Education program

has truly developed me into the person that I am today, and I feel that I have a much higher level

of confidence in my approach to student affairs than I did before. Throughout this narrative

reflection, I will discuss some of the courses that had the largest impact on me, what I learned

throughout the program, how my graduate assistantship and internships have helped me grow,

and how I plan to continue my commitment to social justice and student affairs.

Program Content

The curriculum of the Higher Education program is packed with courses that were able to

enlighten my view of higher education and refine my approach to my work. There were two

courses in particular that provided me with a strong theoretical framework and foundation to

ground my approach to student affairs, and those classes were Student Development Theory and

Leadership in Higher Education. In student development theory, I learned how to be more

mindful of my approach when interacting with students and how everyone’s identities can play a

significant role in their self-efficacy throughout their collegiate experience. This course also

refined my research skills and pointed out the problematic nature of many research studies that

have been done in the past. When conducting research, it is important to take into consideration

the identities of the researcher and the participants to increase the generalizability and validity of
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each study. It also provided me with the foundational framework to empower students to take

control of their own lives and attain self-authorship. In the Leadership course, I did a lot of self-

reflection on how I show up into different spaces with students. I always thought that all students

would benefit from leadership opportunities and wanted to engage in programs dedicated to

leadership on a college campus. However, it became very apparent to me that people of color

typically do not see themselves in leadership programming and the literature presented on

leadership. It assisted me to take an approach to student affairs grounded in transformational

leadership to give each student individualized consideration to assist them with the unique needs

and path that they want to take during their college years. It also allowed me to think critically

about programs and curriculum that I develop to ensure it is inclusive to all students and is

tailored to a diverse student population.

Acquired Knowledge

Being at a Jesuit Catholic institution, reflection has been a key component in my learning.

As I reflect on who I have become over the past two years, there are two things that stick out to

me as key things that I have learned. The first thing that I learned while at Loyola is to be critical

of my White identity. Before entering the higher education program, I had never actively thought

about what it means to be a White person in society. My first semester multiculturalism class

allowed me to read literature about Whiteness, and engage in some conversations around what it

means to be White in a racially tense society. I learned that my Whiteness can be used as a form

of power to seek justice for those who face oppression. I need to continue to challenge my White

peers to also think more critically about how they show up, and continue to educate myself on

the ways to best support people of color. The second tenant that I picked up on throughout my

program really focuses on the type of work environment that I wanted to be a part of. During my
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undergraduate years at Central Michigan University, all of the spaces that I found myself in were

strongly focused on support, care, and family. Once I got to Loyola, I found that not all

departments within student affairs truly care about their employees at the students. When I

entered the job search, I began to be very critical and ask questions about the culture of the staff

within each office I was interviewing with to gain a more detailed perspective on how staff are

cared for in various settings. I am thankful that I feel as though I found that in my next position

at the University of South Carolina (USC).

Practical Experience

I have had the opportunity to hold three different positions throughout my two years at

Loyola. I have been a Graduate Assistant for Sorority & Fraternity Life and Special Events at

LUC for two years, I was an Operations Lead ACUHO-I Intern at Yale University with Yale

Conferences & Events (YC&E) last summer, and I currently serve as a Graduate Intern for

Residence Life at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Currently at IIT, I am working with

the student staff selection and training processes for six different student positions. My primary

focus is on the selection of community desk assistants and training of resident advisors (RA).

Throughout my time at IIT, I have learned that residence life is one of my passions within

student affairs, and that my next role in residence life needs to be in a larger and more

established department than the one that I am currently in. I appreciate the level of autonomy that

I have, but it is difficult to have autonomy with no direction or expectations. During my time at

YC&E, I fully oversaw nine residential buildings for summer programs and was fully in charge

of all building operations. I also served in a formal supervisor role for the first time where I

directly supervised a team of five operations coordinators. This role severely increased my self-

efficacy and confidence to become a full-time professional in residence life and gave me the
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practice skills to run the operations of an on-campus residential facility. In my role at Loyola, I

learned how to be an effective advisor to student organizations. I currently advise five student

organizations and have developed strong relationships with their leaders to support them

throughout their terms. I also learned how to navigate the bureaucratic nature of higher

education. I work in the office of Student Activities & Greek Affairs (SAGA) which is situated

within the Division of Student Development (DSD). SAGA is comprised of eight full-time staff

and two graduate assistants. As one of the graduate assistants, I learned that my opinion is not

valued in that space and that I have to go through the motions to please those in higher positions

that me within DSD. In all of my future roles, I hope to work as hard as possible to fight against

bureaucracy in student affairs, and make sure that all individuals no matter what their title is feel

supported and that they have agency within the department.

Commitment to Social Justice

The higher education program at Loyola is deeply rooted in social justice. It is very easy

to see this manifest in the work that I do currently at Loyola, and the other institutions that I have

had the privilege to work at thus far. When I begin my first position at the University of South

Carolina, I will be working at an institution that is situated in a very different context than what I

am used to. USC is a large public institution located in the south and situated in a conservative

state. The student population at USC comes from many different surrounding areas of the

institution and may have a deep-rooted closed-minded approach. It is my hope that I can

effectively manage my residence hall, supervise my staff, and be very intentional with my

interactions to make each student in my hall feel supported, and that there is a strong and

inclusive environment being fostered by all of the residents. I will continue to challenge and

uplift students who have diverse perspectives of the world, and I hope to create spaces of critical
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dialogue between students to take part in the opportunity of perspective taking. It will not be

easy to approach the large southern state school environment with a social justice approach, but I

will express my hope to be an ally to the underrepresented students in my community to ensure

they feel supported throughout their collegiate career.