Let’s just face the facts: I look like an 18-year-old. Fine, maybe a 22-year-old. Either way, working as a student affairs professional, at age 25, is both a blessing and a curse as I attempt to navigate working with students who tend to look older than me. I wish I could adequately describe the look on the faces of most students when I walk out of my office to greet them in the lobby before an appointment. It registers, usually, as “Is that girl a student or a staff member?!”

This is not something new. I have two younger sisters who both look like they could be the oldest sibling. I’ve been mistaken for a high school student on many a campus. After being hired at JMU, a local business owner noticed my sweatshirt and congratulated me on being accepted to “the best school around”. I thanked her and left in disbelief that someone who has been in school for 23 years still looks like a freshman. After reflecting on what most people call my “great fortune”, I’ve decided that this baby face has both pros and cons in the context of working with college students.

The Good

• Students see me as a peer, someone they can relate to, someone they can confide in.
• Students more readily assume that I understand what they’re going through and have similar college experiences.
• I can model healthy behaviors on a college campus and, just maybe, students think that they’re watching a fellow student.
• I can use my personal experiences of being a (very) recent student to inform office decisions.

The Bad

• Students do not always have the same level of respect for me as an advisor, a teacher, or a staff member.
• Students want to talk to someone who has more knowledge, more experience, more perceived power.
• Am I taking full advantage of the responsibility to be a role model on campus? This is a difficult but crucial part of my job as an educator.
• When I meet with faculty, I often feel self conscious about my perceived lack of knowledge due to my age. This may impact the way I interact with them.

I would love to hear about how your age impacts your work with students (if at all)! I plan to follow-up this post with some more detailed ideas about how I use my age and perceived experience level for positive growth and change on campus and with my students. Any suggestions or ideas are welcomed and greatly appreciated.
 

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Podcast With Dave Kerpen on Authenticity/ Branding on Social Media