One thing that is important to me when I think of higher education or student affairs is the word “accessible”. Even though I enjoyed my undergraduate years, one of the things that I wish I could have changed is what people’s perceptions are when they say something is accessible. I have unique perspective as a person with a disability and when some people forget about the small things, I can often see the bigger picture. I have been stuck in snow because they didn't shovel the walk way well. At Bridgewater State they have transportation around campus that have wheelchair lifts. There have been a few times where I could not go on the regular bus because the bus was too full, so I would wait for the Wheelchair van that only has wheelchair space, however somehow those vans’ lifts were always broken after leaving the bus dock, but never before leaving. Lastly its when I heard a wheelchair lift in a building was up to code but would always need two people to operate it. Most people that are disabled are independent and travel alone.
An event that made me know I wanted to go into higher education is when Resident Housing association had a contest for a night out to the movies and the first thirty people that registered would go to the movies for free. My sister and I were one of those first thirty but found out we could not go because they could not access a handicapped accessible vehicle on such short notice. We tried to find other transportation, but because it was a night trip and short notice finding a ride was impossible.
Receiving a M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs from Salem State University, I will gain experience in working with and addressing needs of a diverse student community. My driving motivation is to start a career in residence life or student programming and foster a sense of belonging, especially amongst students that feel trivialize. I see working with students as a key to helping them find their own sense of belonging and perceptions of campus climate, which in turn aids both in persistence and personal development.