Personal Foundations
“The Personal Foundations competency area involves the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to maintain emotional, physical, social, environmental, relational, spiritual, and intellectual wellness; be self-directed and self-reflective; maintain excellence and integrity in work; be comfortable with ambiguity; be aware of one’s own areas of strength and growth; have a passion for work; and remain curious” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010).
Competency Growth:
Changing internships between my first and second year of graduate school at Bowling Green State University is once instance where I developed the personal foundations competency. Through much reflection, I was able to identify what I value in a work environment and determine what I wanted to get out my graduate school experience that would aid me in achieving my personal and professional goals. Not a decision to be made lightly, I critically looked at my experience in my first internship with the Office of Residence Life and decided to switch over to my internship in the Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs, where I have had a more positive learning experience, feeling that my ideas are considered, that my voice is heard, and that I am valued as a member of the department.
Through my work with the Falcon Leadership Institute, I have developed the personal foundations competency through attending the retreat in September and in completing a leadership philosophy presentation. During the retreat, the entire cohort, including the undergraduate assistant and myself, completed a high ropes course, where we were 35 feet in the air, walking on tight ropes and swinging on ropes. For the leadership philosophy presentation, I worked to identify my values, passions, strengths, ethics, and congruence in relation to my definition of leadership. As a group, we completed the StrengthsFinder typology test to find out our unique top five talents.
Monthly CSP 6890: Supervised Field Experience in College Student Personnel meetings are another way I developed the personal foundations competency. Reflecting on what was happening in my internship, class, and personal life helped me transition into my graduate experience and helped me understand what I was learning and feeling.
Competency Growth:
Changing internships between my first and second year of graduate school at Bowling Green State University is once instance where I developed the personal foundations competency. Through much reflection, I was able to identify what I value in a work environment and determine what I wanted to get out my graduate school experience that would aid me in achieving my personal and professional goals. Not a decision to be made lightly, I critically looked at my experience in my first internship with the Office of Residence Life and decided to switch over to my internship in the Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs, where I have had a more positive learning experience, feeling that my ideas are considered, that my voice is heard, and that I am valued as a member of the department.
Through my work with the Falcon Leadership Institute, I have developed the personal foundations competency through attending the retreat in September and in completing a leadership philosophy presentation. During the retreat, the entire cohort, including the undergraduate assistant and myself, completed a high ropes course, where we were 35 feet in the air, walking on tight ropes and swinging on ropes. For the leadership philosophy presentation, I worked to identify my values, passions, strengths, ethics, and congruence in relation to my definition of leadership. As a group, we completed the StrengthsFinder typology test to find out our unique top five talents.
Monthly CSP 6890: Supervised Field Experience in College Student Personnel meetings are another way I developed the personal foundations competency. Reflecting on what was happening in my internship, class, and personal life helped me transition into my graduate experience and helped me understand what I was learning and feeling.
References:
ACPA & NASPA (2010). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors.
ACPA & NASPA (2010). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors.