@LuisHGaray
When I first started my master’s program I did not really know what I
would expect from my cohort experience. I had a few friends who attended
master’s programs at different institutions who had cohorts. They spoke of
pretty much the same thing: deep friendships, cohort bonding, and going through
the graduate school experience together. A year later I have gotten to know my
cohort relatively well. Frequently I find myself being taught something new or
gain a new insight by them. This week’s blog post is inspired by one group of
people (out of many) that inspire me to be a better student affairs graduate
student and student affairs professional.
These people that influence me are my fellow cohort mates.
Whether through interactions in class, discussions outside of the
classroom, or sitting on same committees together, I am constantly learning
from my cohort. As I write this post, I am thinking of one person specifically.
In some ways, this post is also a thank you to this individual. (A part of me
hopes that they read it!)
Through this individual I see unwavering strength, continuous commitment
to educate, and an unbreakable spirit. Because of them I find myself improving
my own leadership and group facilitation skills. One of the best things I have
seen of them is their compassion and the care in which he or she speaks with
students. They not only extend a helping hand to students who come to them but
also will check-in with students, even if just by asking, “How are you?”
All of this has had me thinking on my own interactions with the
students I interact with both through my graduate assistantship role but also
outside of my role as well. I have definitely grown in confidence in my
leadership and chairing a committee. I became more attune to the importance in
checking with students, being open, and asking how they are doing.
The great thing in all of this is I consider this individual someone I
can confide in and turn to whenever I have questions or find myself confused.
These questions and confusing feeling have been plenty (especially in the first
year of my graduate program) but they have always been there to listen to me
attempting to make sense of things.
The great thing about people that inspire others is they can be there
for you when you need turn to them. If you are in need of some inspiration or a
recharge of energy, I encourage you to seek out the person or people you
thought of as you read my post.
Who inspires you? What have you learned from them? Tweet me your
thoughts at @LuisHGaray. I’d love to hear them!
Happy Monday!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't be afraid! We love to hear from our readers!