This is my first attempt at publicly sharing my experiences. I am a storyteller at heart and I love to talk about all the delightful adventures I witness everyday. The purpose of this blog is to begin to share all the wonderful interactions I have had throughout my many years of service. I am honored to be a partner with my students and I want to share these stories.
It is really easy for us to talk about everything that is frustrating about higher education. There are several, almost daily, incidents that are challenging, but that is not my focus. What frustrates me is not what makes me go back to work. As idealistic as it sounds, the real reason I do what I do is to be an asset to my students. My purpose is to facilitate their learning and assist them in achieving their goals.
I am not perfect and I was, most definitely, not always a great student when I was in school. My experiences give me a unique perspective when working with my students. I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect excellence. I do my best to practice patience because I know what is it like to feel lost in college. My students are challenged to perform to the best of their ability. I interact with students as an administrator and as an educator. Within both of my roles, I expect students to be honest and to realize their potential.
Since 1995 I have had the pleasure of working in higher education. I started off working with student athletes and now serve as a Dean of Students. In the time in between, I have worked in the areas of: multicultural student recruitment; advising; student activities; student support services; student judicial issues; academic and financial aid appeals; and student feedback/complaint processes. I am so fortunate to have met so many incredibly talented people. The experiences we shared within my employment have challenged me, encouraged me, but most of all, made me the compassionate leader I am today.
This was a short introduction into why I do what I do. Future blogs, which I plan on being weekly, will be actual experiences I have had with students. I will be sharing the best stories from the past 20+ years. The stories will not be in chronological order. The stories will be as I remember them. It has been truly gratifying to be able to live through these experiences with my students. I hope you enjoy my stories as much I enjoy telling them.
DrYesiAvalos 