What I have found in the field of student affairs is a feeling I have longed for.

This is a field in which we, as colleagues, support each other to challenge our students and challenge ourselves and to constantly evaluate the perceptions and efficiency of our field.

Yes, our lovely student development philosophies often ring true; the field of student affairs truly does boil down to being a field of challenge and support. It is something to be proud of. And I see the growth of our field stemming from more and more individuals recognizing that there is worth in the work we do.

Many individuals pursue a career to reinvigorate an industry.
Many individuals pursue a career that influences the lives of the current or next generation.
Many individuals pursue a career that does both of those things, while making the individual feel validated that their work and purpose is important.

Well, 2014 was a year of validation for me.
Student affairs is validation for me.

[Note: Per usual, I write a lot—even though I love Twitter, I am not a fan of writing micro-blogs. So enjoy this exploration of my year that was.]

Winning that gift basket for Best Tweeter was a wonderful treat at the 2014 NASPA National Conference.

Of my own volition, I was determined that the beginning of 2014 would be consumed by me putting myself out there more. I wanted to share my stories, share my voice. I did this by beginning to blog about my experiences. I found that challenging myself to be critical of the field and of myself really brought out a new perspective. Many people would respond to my writing telling me that they appreciated my words, so I kept going.

I was also determined to devote myself to student affairs Twitter, which I have so much faith in. I believe that we are able to connect in such meaningful ways on this platform and use it for so much social good. I have developed my thesis research around understanding how social media functions in our students because of how active it is a facet of my life.

I found validation through social media when I was dubbed the Best Tweeter at the 2014 NASPA National Conference. This was something I didn’t even know was a thing. It was powerful to learn that my engagements online were impacting those at the conference enough that it got the attention of the conference staff. Since this, I have been going non-stop with my tweeting and my other forms of online engagement.

It is great to have people reach out to me as a voice now. I never thought this was a thing that I would do in my day to day life. Yet, having built up a community of colleagues online has made for some powerful conversations.

WHY YES! #SAGRAD CHATS INVOLVE ALL OF THE ALL CAPS

Most of these conversations are due in part to being asked to take over the NASPA Technology Knowledge Community’s @SAGradMOD Twitter account. I was excited for this opportunity to further engage my fellow grad students and this validation gave me a sense of devotion to this community of which I was an active participant.

So, amid the growth and overwhelming power of the weekly #SAChat, I decided to create a spawn of that chat—but focused around the voices and experiences of purely graduate students. The weekly #SAGrad chats have been a massive learning experience for me, as each week I prepare these chats on my own and prepare a conversation for my community.

I have the same fear every time a chat begins.
I fear no one will contribute.
And each week I am BLOWN AWAY by how much people engage on these topics.
We went from about 15 participants each week to nearly 100 in our most recent chat.
This growth shows exactly how dedicated my colleagues are to furthering the conversation and their professional development outside of their classwork and work schedules.

The dedication of my colleagues inspires me to keep the conversation alive.

Becoming a leading voice in this online community has been such a brilliant form of validation because I feel that many grad students now have a space to call their own each week. I am glad that I was given the opportunity to create this space. I am glad that each week my colleagues are able to validate each other’s experiences and share something new about themselves and their life as budding student affairs professionals.

John Cena and I had a great summer at Towson University.

2014 was also validating because I was hired for my first summer paraprofessional experience, when I took a NACA summer internship at Towson University in Maryland. This move meant a new city experience for this backwoods Pacific Northwest man. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I quickly learned that I have a place in this field.

My supervisor, Dirron Allen, became one of the most influential human beings in my life when he brought me onto his team. From day one, I felt like I had been in the office for years. My opinions, experiences, and knowledge were immediately brought into the context of our work for that summer. I was given freedom to explore new opportunities for the Summers at Towson program, and, through my connection with StudentAffairs.com, was able to document my experiences to share with the field so that the work of Towson University would not go unnoticed.

Learning to take risks with my professional persona and work mentality were very validating experiences for me. I have been known to push the envelope with my personality, so having a supervisor like Dirron—who would share his perspectives whenever I had a question about the field—was motivation for me to continue developing my leadership and supervision styles into how I function today.

Meeting Katy has invaluably improved my physical, emotional, and professional well-being. She has motivated me more than anyone else in my life. Her support is the biggest validation of all.

Additionally, during this summer experience at Towson,  I connected with lovely student affairs woman named, Katy Hamm. Little did I know that this woman would eventually become my partner…

I never knew how validating having a partner in student affairs would be for me—until I had one.

Since we come from very similar backgrounds—white, low-SES, first-gen—we are able to have some very empowering conversations of how we hope to work together to support students from similar backgrounds. We are able to validate each other’s experiences and feel as though we are not alone in this field.

We have grown together over the last few months. Her story, her life, and her persistence all motivate me to never give up on myself or, especially, her. We push each other on topics that concern this field and it is a constant game of challenge and support in our own home!

Since getting her dream job at Lesley University, I have witnessed her transformation from a grad student colleague to a full-fledged practitioner. It has been inspiring to watch someone I love do the work she loves to support students she cares about. It is also incredibly powerful to look up to my partner because the work she does and the dedication with which she carries herself makes me so proud to support her.

I am eager for my upcoming job search because I know that I have her support the entire way—just as I supported her through her search. And yes, I am actually very excited for the job search, because I feel ready to take on the job market and put myself out there even more! I have found my confidence throughout the past year and even earning a little professional recognition certainly helped boost the job-market-readiness.

I gotta say, this was pretty sweet!

The recognition I speak of is when I won the NASPA Region 1 Richard F. Stevens Award for Outstanding Grad Student in the state of Massachusetts. When I heard my name read, all I felt was validation. A year of hard work, dedication, and late nights had paid off in this form of recognition. I was completely honored and blown away by the support I received through winning this award.

I immediately thought of the time when one of my high school teachers told me I wouldn’t amount to anything in college. I thought of the time when I struggled to get through the SAT, despite my ADHD and still came out with a terrible score because I don’t test well. I thought of the time I was elected student body president at Oregon State University.

I thought of how I never wanted my students to feel invalidated for being who they are. I thought of my future in this field. I thought of changing the game.

I thought of my supervisors and faculty members for challenging me and supporting me. I thought of my parents and their blind support of me—even though they don’t understand what I do or why I am still in school.

This moment of validation meant so much to me because I finally felt at home in this field. I spent many years trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life—wandering, exploring aimlessly. And in this moment I thought of the validation I felt when this tattooed, loud-mouthed, punk was able to feel at home at a professional conference for student affairs in higher education.

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!

That’s something pretty special.

Always spread the love, the validation, and the hugs!

Lastly, I have found that my undertaking of blogging throughout this past year has allowed me to share my voice in the community. I’m still somewhat green—wrestling term for inexperienced—however, it is so comforting to meet people at conferences, or on their campuses and hear how something I wrote really stuck with them.

That’s so validating for me, especially when people ask for advice on where to start with their writing. I tell them to just write what you know. That’s what I do. It works. And yet, it is still a challenge every time I sit down to write. I have worked hard to become a better writer over the years. I was a writing minor, and I struggled to find my voice amid those I felt I was competing with within my undergrad program. Yet, once I stopped viewing writing as a competition, I was able to find that my voice has been within me all along.

And this voice is meant to write about social change with higher education and student affairs. Through much trial and error, over the 26 posts (totaling over 17,000 reads) I have written this year, I have learned which topics have worked and which haven’t worked. Some spark great conversations, which is great! Others send me back to the keyboard to create something new. And that’s fine.

I do not plan to stop writing. I plan to keep sharing my voice so that it might inspire others to share their voice.

I have found validation.
Now I want to make sure others feel this same validation.

I want to continue to put myself out there in order to make up and coming folks feel as though this is the field for them. Supporting my colleagues (and future colleagues), building a strong network of educated professionals, and developing the next generation of student affairs in higher education are priorities for me in 2015.

As I wind down my reflection on 2014, I hope this post has been helpful in some way. I know this has probably read like ONE HUGE #HUMBLEBRAG, but that’s not the point. The point is that this field can provide some of the most brilliant validation for those who might question their work every single day.

So validate your co-workers, your colleagues, your partners, your friends, and your students!
Make people feel like their work is important and be grateful for the effort people in your office put into their daily lives. One small “thank you,” or “good job,” or “you’re doing great” can change any one’s day!

Also, never silence your voice.
This is a field of challenge, support, and validation.
Be true to yourself and encourage others to engage in the dialogue.

We are a part of something magnificent in this field of student affairs and I am so thankful to be along the ride with you.

Join me in the conversation at @CrigBididman!

– Craig.

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