I learned just as much from my fellow participants as I did from the leaders that were on our faculty panel. It was an invaluable, inspiring moment to know that the face of leadership in our profession could truly be changed by a different way of approaching leadership.

For so long, making the case to support the work of student affairs has been a struggle in both large and small institutions. This is in part due to the fact that our work has not always been undergirded with the level of peer review and guidance necessary to move forward with focus and quality execution strategies. NASPA provides opportunities for reflective practice that fosters greater insight.

There are days when I feel overwhelmed by the contemporary crisis of contempt, in which dehumanizing others is a tool for political gain or the basis on which to enact violence. But I have to hope that this isn’t a permanent state, that, with our support, the students on our campus will be able to chart and build a future full of better possibilities. In a very real sense, we are educating students aspirationally.

We will continue to embrace the responsibility of advancing inclusion and equity in higher education. We will remain a diverse reflection of talent and positive representation for the next generation of higher education's leaders. And we will use our collective capacity to amplify traditionally underrepresented and historically disenfranchised voices in the profession.