Intersections - Faith, Freedom, and Social Justice in Student Affairs Practice

This past March, at the 2016 NASPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Cody Nielsen (University of Minnesota), Rachel Samuelson (Portland State University), DL Stewart (Bowling Green State University), and Ross Wantland (University of Illinois) to facilitate a rewarding preconference session examining the recent Religious Freedom legislation and its impact on student affairs practice in higher education. While the all-day session was full of interesting information and engaging discussion, weeks later I find myself still reflecting on how my personal values intersect with my multiple professional roles.

I had learned about intersectionality through my academic studies yet Dr. DL Stewart’s presentation encouraged me to consider how my social identities and core values aligned (or misaligned) with my responsibilities as an educator. Being raised Christian, attending parochial schools for majority of my education, and working in one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world (Los Angeles) I had had the privilege of learning and working in educational/professional environments which aligned with my personal values. However as other participants shared it became clear that not all of my colleagues worked in environments conducive to their social identities. Departmental culture, institutional policies, and local/state politics had profound impact on how much of themselves they could express in their professional positions. Session participants and facilitators shared bravely the tensions they experience at their own intersections and we all tried to support each other as we strategized ways to navigate these tensions. I left the preconference session with a greater willingness to examine the intersections in my own life. Because it is through navigating our own tensions that we are able to bring more of our whole selves to the spaces we work and students we support.