The Profound Life Lessons of a Pencil: How They Apply to Supporting College Students Success

The Profound Life Lessons of a Pencil: How They Apply to Supporting College Students Success

Close your eyes and think about a pencil. What comes to mind? For most of us, it’s just a writing tool – nothing special or worth dwelling on. But what if I told you that a pencil has the power to teach us valuable life lessons? In a YouTube video I recently rewatched titled “Profound…

From the South Bronx to Success: How Mentorship Changed the Game

From the South Bronx to Success: How Mentorship Changed the Game

Hello, beautiful people! Six blog articles in, I’ve realized that, apart from my website profile, I haven’t introduced myself properly. Allow me to tell you a bit about who I am and what experiences have molded me before I share a little about my journey and future posts. I’m looking forward to interweaving my posts…

Exploring the Dual Nature of Leadership and Its Impact in Professional Environments

Exploring the Dual Nature of Leadership and Its Impact in Professional Environments

The name “Janus-faced” derives from the Roman god Janus, who was generally represented with two faces, one looking ahead and one looking backward. Janus was renowned for his capacity to view both the present and the past. It was believed that the god Janus, who was the guardian of entrances and exits, had two faces…

The Danger of Bringing Unresolved Trauma to the Workplace: A Call for Responsible Sharing and Healing in Student Affairs

The Danger of Bringing Unresolved Trauma to the Workplace: A Call for Responsible Sharing and Healing in Student Affairs

Vicarious trauma, also known as secondary traumatic stress, is the emotional and psychological distress that can result from hearing about or being exposed to the traumatic experiences of others. The term “vicarious trauma” was coined by Judith Lewis Herman in her book “Trauma and Recovery” published in 1992. In this book, she defined vicarious trauma…

Why ‘Faking It Until You Make It’ Is a Dangerous and Harmful Myth in Student Affairs

Why ‘Faking It Until You Make It’ Is a Dangerous and Harmful Myth in Student Affairs

The popular advice of “Faking it Until you make it” is often touted as a means of achieving success in the field of student affairs. However, this advice is not only ineffective, but it can also be dangerous and harmful to those who follow it, particularly people of color working in this field. The problem…

Carbon Monoxide and the Illusion of Invisibility: Understanding the Existence of Bias through Quality of Life Indicators

Carbon Monoxide and the Illusion of Invisibility: Understanding the Existence of Bias through Quality of Life Indicators

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, and poisonous gas that is made when carbon-based fuels like gasoline, wood, and coal are burned. It can also come from natural things, like when a volcano erupts. Carbon monoxide can be dangerous or even kill you because it cuts down on how much oxygen your blood can…

The Laws of [Social] Motion: Applying Newton’s Second Law to Systemic Racism and Inequality

The Laws of [Social] Motion: Applying Newton’s Second Law to Systemic Racism and Inequality

In 2020, Tim Wise wrote a thoughtful piece entitled, Systemic Racism, Explained by Newton’s First Law of Motion: Those who deny its existence might as well deny inertia. It is a thought provoking piece! Isaac Newtons Laws of Motion are the basis of modern physics. However, the second law can be applied to the dynamics…

Breaking the Cycle of Insular Hiring Practices in Higher Education: Addressing Implicit Bias and Homogenous Leadership

Breaking the Cycle of Insular Hiring Practices in Higher Education: Addressing Implicit Bias and Homogenous Leadership

Can we talk about how insular and click we can be in our hiring practices? Higher education we got a problem, problematic colleagues are in our midsts and have infiltrated safe spaces for underrepresented and minoritized staff.  Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that people often hire those they are comfortable with, who are often within…