Statement of Purpose

I have heard it said that higher education is an interest you just fall into. As for me, I am convinced that I was first pushed, and then about midway through the plummet, awakened to the peculiarity and purpose behind this so-called journey. I say peculiar, because until this point, I had been pursuing a career in the music industry, far from the thought of any other profession. And purposeful, because I had never before felt such a high level of compatibility between my true desires and the needs of those around me. This moment of discovery, which I will later describe, and the direction of which I now head, would have no grounds were it not for the push, time and time again, of people who cared enough to do so – the people I know aspire to model.

It was spring semester of my freshman year that a friend convinced me to apply for a position as a New Student Orientation Leader. I wish that I could say I did this out of a love for my school and a sincere interest in the needs of incoming students. At that point, however, I cared only about making sure that I could add leadership experience to my slowly growing résumé. And too, as my professors in music business advised, “It’s always good to network, even with your fellow classmates.” So I pursued the position to build relationships with my peers. I began relating to people I hadn’t thought possible because of my slow transition out of a secondary education understanding of popularity, leadership, and relationships.

Even with a new appreciation for the value of the entirety of university community, I had little intention of returning to the Orientation Programs, let alone a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the Orientation Council. My plans for fall semester of junior year, since before coming to Belmont, were to travel to Australia for study abroad, to participate in a music business exchange program. Fall orientation was scheduled through the first month of the exchange program. Because of an uncanny motivation, and again, the coaxing of a friend and our then orientation supervisor, the Associate Dean of Students, I applied for a spot on the Orientation Council, which seemed an unfitting role for someone who felt barely qualified. With this, I traded a long sought after dream for unknown territory.

It is ironic that I took one of the more pivotal leadership positions in orientation, believing little of my abilities to lead new students and parents, let alone my peers. Because of the formation and context of this group, however, I became aware of my innate skills and abilities and how those could actually be used in better ways than I had experienced previously volunteering for music industry events and the music business Student Advisory Board. My year on the Council allowed for my first true leadership experiences within higher education administration, both positive and negative. In this, I began to recognize concepts I was learning in my core business classes, but relished most in the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with new students and parents. It was near the end of this experience that I could not help but recognize that, all along, there had been something much greater than a leadership position than I intended. I was then introduced to student affairs and higher education as an option for graduate studies and ultimately a career.

Even still, a small part of me was hanging on to the remains of a career in business. And as the next Orientation year began, it came down to a choice between my very last opportunity to study music business abroad in London and what everyone believed was my natural progression to the position of Student Coordinator of Orientation Programs. Fortunately, this decision paralleled a newly developing mentor relationship with the Coordinator of New Student Programs who was assuming the role as supervisor of New Student Orientation Programs. With his belief in my ability to lead and to develop further in this position and also, a measure of prodding, I accepted the role; we were in this together. That is a decision that will forever mark the change in my journey.

As much as I might attempt to avoid emotional language, I am overcome with a deep sense of inner gratitude and disbelief at the breadth of which my life has been changed by this role as an undergraduate student running one of the most significant and influential university programs. By this time, my interest in music business diminished as I realized the value and purpose of what opportunities lay ahead. I began researching graduate programs with Master’s Degrees in Higher Education, specifically those with student affairs and college student personnel services specializations.

This research, and ultimately, my decision to pursue a graduate degree, coincided with a year of even more growth as a student leader on campus, with which I was developing a variety of relationships with administration across campus, particularly beyond student affairs. I came to understand how all along numerous people had been guiding and mentoring me – identifying my ability to shape and to become what I was designed for. This led me to know and trust that I was made to do just this. Learning is about more than what takes place in a classroom; it is about what takes place in the structure and design of a university, from its faculty, staff, and students, to its mission and values. It is here that I have come to believe in my ability to be what I once heard a student affairs professional call a “life educator.”

Limited experience and a business degree do little in the way of providing an in-depth understanding of development concepts of college students and the institution of higher education. There is a wealth of knowledge, both in theory and in research, which I know is available and is best met by pursuing a degree in higher education. Through a variety of relationships and proximity to the campus, Vanderbilt University, specifically Peabody College, has become a strong contender in my selective list of graduate programs. With such a reputable history of both practical and research-based education, I feel as though I would benefit greatly as a graduate student in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations.

Specifically within the College Student Personnel Services specialization area of Higher Education Administration, I am drawn to the small size of each cohort and the accessibility to well-known and knowledgeable faculty. Upon reviewing the course of study of each specialization, my level of interest in the area of Student Affairs has broadened to consider more than just those realms with which I have had a small amount of experience, those being First-Year Programs, Admissions, and Student Activities.

I hope to gain, in my studies, access to resources that will support not only my present learning, but also future undertakings in the field of student development. One thing I have found most impressive in my relationships with Student Affairs professionals is the common knowledge base as well as the level of diversification, both specialists and generalists. The books, the journals, the articles, and the studies referenced by these people are numerous, and I am anticipating immersing myself in such studies. Another expectation I have is to develop a “bigger picture” perspective of higher education that accounts for all areas of campus, some of which I presently have little knowledge of, such as Greek Life and Residence Life. Not only this, but I highly anticipate gaining a perspective that accounts for cultural and generational trends affecting colleges and universities on a global scale. With four years at a private, faith-based university, I know that what I have seen and experienced is only a small portion of the higher education spectrum and look forward to broadening my scope of understanding.

Naturally, my greatest goal is to leave, not just to move ahead with degree in hand, but with a solid vision for my place in Student Affairs. While I presently have interest in the areas Student Activities and First-Year Programs, I also know that I have a great deal to learn and understand about other opportunities. At this point, my career goals are general and broad, as I have not yet garnered the information and experience necessary to make those decisions. However, what I have accumulated thus far is enough to have bred within me a passion that leads me to know one thing above all: I want to make a difference in the lives of college students, using the personal skills I have developed, the education I have received, the experiences I have accumulated, the learning I have taken part in, and the variety of resources I have gathered. I believe this is the educational opportunity that Peabody College at Vanderbilt University would best provide.

It is done.
I have applied.
And now, we wait.