Portfolio Committee Members

Faculty: Dr. Paige Gardner

Chair: Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis

SDA Alum: Alexis Bull

First-year SDA: Shirin Mehri

Experienced Professional: Dr. Bernard Anderson

Thank you all for being a part of my SDA journey!

Letter to the committee

Dear committee members,

Thank you for being a part of this, the last leg of my graduate journey (at least for now, if Dr. Anderson has his way). I entered the SDA program while we were barely more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic. I had entered student affairs four years earlier after making a career jump and had been thinking about investing in a graduate education for a while. So when we were all stuck at home, I thought to myself, “If not now, when?” It’s funny to think now how whimsical my reasoning seems after knowing the work that went into this process.

I still consider one of my first experiences in the program to be among the most formative. SDAD 5850: Higher Education Finance asked me to consider higher education institutions from the perspective of their material financial needs. Activities like a Shark Tank presentation taught me to consider the power of creativity when it comes to adjusting programming to severe financial constraints, and the case study paper taught me that some conversations about budgets are more about perceptions and values than numerical figures. Later, SDAD 5760: Leadership and Governance in Postsecondary Institutions gave me insights into the importance of collaboration and clear communication when dealing with campus crises. My favorite assignment from this class required us to draft a letter to the campus community in response to protest posters alleging a close relationship between SU and the Seattle Police Department. The assignment taught me that not all leadership messaging will perfectly align with my values, but good messaging will keep the peace and leave room to fight another day.

As a working professional, SDA’s internship requirement was challenging. But program leadership allowed me the freedom to find experiences that helped me grow while also fitting with my life and schedule. I was extremely fortunate to be able to complete 200 hours of my internship with the committee that drafted the UW Tacoma Division of Student Affairs’ first strategic plan. This was a unique opportunity that gave me hands-on experience with data collection, the logistics of collaboration, and rapidly drafting reports for campus leaders. For the last third of my internship requirement, I was able to pursue an independent study into the success of transgender students, a group of people I’ve worked with frequently and whom I’ve become invested in over the course of my career.

The Jesuit value of discernment, as expressed in the SDA program, has encouraged me to think hard about my choices in both my life and my career. It encouraged me to take career steps I might not have taken otherwise, and to ease back on obligations that didn’t serve my well-being, even though they looked good on paper. In all my decisions, I’ve been grateful for the support and understanding of my instructors, advisers and peers in the program.

Warmly,

Daniel