Livin’ My Best Life: 6 Things I Love about ACPA

Center for Student EngagementMay 28, 2018June 13, 2018Leave a comment

by Charlotte McLoud (cmcloud@gwu.edu)

The best advice I ever received from a professor in graduate school was, “Find a space to call home in the profession. The work that we do is not easy; home will keep you grounded”. As my professional journey leads me to and through various opportunities, projects, institutions, and challenges, engaging with like-minded educators have been essential to my success and well-being. ACPA has been that place for me. Here are six reasons why:

1. Pre-Convention Sessions

While pre-convention sessions are not unique to ACPA, they have definitely added significant value to my conference experience. Pre-Convention sessions are typically daylong or half-day workshops dedicated to discussing best policies, guiding philosophies, and campus implications of a particular topic. In past years, I received my Mental Health First Aid program certification, as well as attended a session about Title IX compliance and interpersonal education. If you are looking for a jump-start to your conference experience, check out the pre-convention sessions offered! ...continue reading "Livin’ My Best Life: 6 Things I Love about ACPA"

Imposter Syndrome and the Importance of Professional Associations

Center for Student EngagementMay 3, 2018May 11, 2018Leave a comment

How I Attacked Imposter Syndrome through Involvement in ACPA

by Ron Alexander (ronalexander@gwu.edu)

When I entered student affairs as a professional, I learned about the term “Imposter Syndrome” from a colleague and supervisor in my first professional Residence Director role. Wikipedia defines impostor syndrome as "a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a 'fraud'." A constant theme that I have experienced in my time as a professional was not feeling like I belonged or that I deserved any type of award for the work that I did. In meetings (and I am still guilty of this), I wouldn't speak up, offer feedback, or engage in dialogue just because I had this internal discourse about “who am I” or “I am at the bottom of the totem pole.” American College Personnel Association (ACPA) was the involvement and change agent I needed to find my worth in student affairs.

I came to know about ACPA in 2013 in a conversation with a current graduate student at Vanderbilt (who is now my colleague and friend Charlotte McLoud), and she told me about this organization that she was involved in and how it had shaped her experience in student affairs thus far, especially within the social justice realm. Charlotte encouraged me to look into the work that ACPA was currently doing in respects to professionals of color, social justice and inclusion, and racial injustice. Fast forward to 2015, a great opportunity arose! ...continue reading "Imposter Syndrome and the Importance of Professional Associations"

Paying It Forward at ACPA

Center for Student EngagementApril 26, 2018May 14, 2018Leave a comment

by Lauren Murphy (lcmurphy@gwu.edu)

I have been privileged to have amazing professionals invest in me over the years, from assisting me into university as a first generation student, to landing my first student affairs role and moving through each step in my career. Through their support I have been able to observe good practice, have an outside view into my experiences, receive needed challenge and validation, and gain assistance in navigating unknown territory. More so, they did all this not because they had to, but because they genuinely wanted to. As such, these are things that I have worked to emulate in my own practice, remembering to “pay it forward,” as one of my closer mentors reminds those around them to do.

Lauren mentors undergraduates at ACPA's NextGen Conference.

For myself, paying it forward comes through in a variety of ways, and it was most present in my ACPA conference attendance. What was most striking for this year’s conference was that I have reached a clear point in my career where I am spending greater time investing in others then seeking it out for myself. Where my conference calendar had once been filled with coffee and lunch meetings with mentors, colleagues, and connections through my network, I was now taking more time to meet with mentees and new professionals who sought me out, to talk about everything from job searches to current issues in our field. While this meant a change in how I was spending my time in conference, it was just as beneficial to my time, as each interaction somehow gave me fresh perspective and energy.

...continue reading "Paying It Forward at ACPA"

Two National Conferences – Two Different Experiences

Center for Student EngagementApril 10, 2018May 11, 2018Leave a comment

by Tim Miller (millertm@gwu.edu)

For the first time in my career, I attended both NASPA and ACPA in the same year. I know there are many perspectives about the two organizations and who belongs where and who each one serves in our field. This is a debate and discussion that will probably go on for years into the future. There is even debate about the value of each organization and I have always wondered about this myself. What I found after attending the two conferences was that both organizations had an equal but very different meaning and value to me. ...continue reading "Two National Conferences – Two Different Experiences"