Gratitude

Degrees are funny things. We award them to individual students for their hard work in completing an academic program. And rightly so: after all, it’s their name on the papers turned in and the class rosters read. When they give presentations, they are seemingly up there alone. But behind every graduating student is a community of people.

First and most of all, I’d like to thank my wife, Katherine Stribling. I began the SDA program only two months before we married—two major commitments happening at the roughly the same time. While I’ve always made an effort to prevent my schoolwork from getting in the way of our quality time, there’s no denying that graduate school posed challenges in terms of the time and energy I was able to bring into our home. Kat supported me the entire way. In the past year, Kat has begun her own educational journey. I look forward to being the partner to support her for the next stretch of our marriage. I love you, Kat.

I’d like to thank my mother, Marian, for encouraging me to apply to graduate programs. I’d like to thank my sisters, Laura and Katherine, who are younger but both preceded me in continuing their education. It was nice being able to have new shared ground as siblings. I’d like to thank my father, Jaime, for his encouragement every time I provided updates about my program. I’d like to thank Gwen for telling me to “have the experience while you’re young.” Given how my back hurts while I’m writing this, you gave me that advice right on time.

Having worked in a higher education setting for three years before applying to SDA, I had plenty of colleagues’ guidance on graduate school programs in student affairs. I’d like to thank my former supervisor Elizabeth Hansen for suggesting graduate program, talking me through the application process, and helping me arrange my work to accommodate school. I’d like thank my current supervisor Conor Leary for continuing to support my education, and for trusting me to take on new and different responsibilities in the Center for Student Involvement. I’d like to thank UW Tacoma librarians and Staff Reads co-organizers Alaina Bull and Johanna Jacobsen Kiciman. They offered me plenty of advice about selecting a graduate program that matched my values, and Johanna kindly reviewed my personal statement essay before I sent it with my application. I’d like to thank Nedralani Logotala, another Staff Reads co-organizer who preceded me into the SDA program, for providing advice and a recommendation letter for my application. I’d like to thank Dr. Chris Demaske for likewise writing a letter of recommendation on my behalf. Rounding out my UW Tacoma thank yous, I’d like to thank Dr. Bernard Anderson, who supervised me in my internship with UW Tacoma Student Affairs strategic planning committee, and is now a member of my portfolio committee.

I’d like to thank several colleagues in the SDA program, in no particular order: Dr. Paige Gardner, Erin Swezey, Maria Reyes, Erin Kwan, Jireh Reduque, Greer Henderson, Maddie Harris, Chloe Thomas, Katie Hoag, Aresia Smith-Sutton, Mary Tran, and Tsetsen Anuurad.

Finally, I would like to thank the members of my committee: Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis, Dr. Bernard Anderson, Alexis Bull, and Shirin Mehri.

If I have failed to mention anyone who has contributed to my journey, the fault is my own and does not reflect your contribution. All thanks are due to you.