How does one even begin to encapsulate their master’s journey? To try to put it into words seems like an injustice:  an injustice to the amount of work put in, insight gained, and the stress it all evoked. Nevertheless, it’s integral that I try. Having been out of formal education since December of 2006, I was nervous to get back in the classroom. Working at a community college I was aware that college was not strictly for people right out of high school. However, I still felt nervous and a little bit intimidated heading back to school, especially at the graduate level. Fortunately, I soon found out that I belonged in the world of academia, having rediscovered my voice. Along with this important part of my journey, my passion for learning and education was re-ignited. Through classes on children and adolescent literature, leadership, and multicultural education I’ve become motivated to do more, looking for ways in which I can change my thinking and practice, to ensure I’m the best possible employee—and educator—that I can be.

                Generally speaking, but not any less important, I have found—or perhaps rediscovered—my voice. While this can’t necessarily be attributed to any one class in my master’s program, I can definitively say that, overall, it was due to the online format of my Master of Arts in Education (MAED). I have always been a shy and timid student, unwilling to speak up in class. I was (and always have been) more comfortable blending into my surroundings, educational or otherwise. Due to my being an introvert, I’ve never liked the attention on me, where all the eyes in the room are looking in my direction. With my MAED being an online program, I didn’t have to worry about that. Even though my first three classes were self-paced reading and writing classes, I found out after that that many of my classes consisted of group discussions and/or group work. Because I am in the comfort of my own space without the stress of having everyone looking at me, I found that the online discussion forums were a place for me to flourish. No longer did I have to fret about the wrong words coming out or the look of judgment from the teacher or my peers, but instead I could focus on the content of my words and thoughts. I found this to be freeing. Through this, I was then able to gain more confidence in myself. The dialogue between my peers and I, as well as the instructor, proved that my thoughts were worth sharing, thoughts that had previously been kept in throughout much of my previous educational experiences. This confidence, in turn, has carried over into my professional work at the community college. I am now more apt to speak up, offering up my thoughts and opinions. Most of the time my ideas are met with encouragement and positive feedback, giving me the reassurance I need to continue in speaking up. When opportunities arise, I have not shied away from raising my hand. As part of the Wellness Committee and the subcommittee of Recruitment for the Enrollment Management Cabinet, I have made my voice heard, offering valuable insight and important ideas and suggestions. The nods of agreement and affirmation I have received have further validated what this master’s program has taught me: my voice has value.

                One of the classes on my journey through the MAED program that has changed my viewpoints and thinking was Dr. Apol’s TE 849:  Methods and Materials Teaching Children and Adolescent Literature. While this class wasn’t necessarily easily translated into my position as Clerk for the Records and Registration department at a community college, I still found it extremely valuable and eye opening. Having always been passionate about reading and the extreme benefits it reaps, this class further solidified that for me. Reading, for me, has always bridged the gap between people, connecting one another through words. There’s no better way to get inside someone else’s shoes—to understand them—than to read of their journey and their experiences. Literature allows us the chance to relate to characters we’ve never met and to those that don’t exist; situations we’ve never lived through; so that, in the end, we can begin to understand how they may feel, creating sympathy. This class reminded me of all of this. Even though this idea is important to relay to our students in our classrooms—as this class discusses—I also firmly believe in its value outside of the classroom. Through the variety of literature we read, with subjects ranging from people with disabilities to LGBT, I am more fully aware of the multiple perspectives in any given situation. In a workforce that is composed of--and caters to—various different individuals, backgrounds and opinions, I now have the wherewithal to understand a student’s or co-worker’s dilemma, situation, or thought process, even if it’s one I don’t necessarily agree with. While not a new concept, it is more readily available in my mindset. This is extremely beneficial in any circumstance, as it makes me a more compassionate individual and, therefore, employee. Along with these ideas we were also responsible for critically analyzing multiple materials and perspectives, which gave me practice with synthesizing numerous resources into one coherent thought or idea, usually in the form of an essay. This is useful for many reasons and in any career path, as it keeps the brain fresh and gives it the ability to process complex and opposing concepts, all at once. In a community college setting, this is beneficial quite frequently, especially in a time when enrollment is in a decline and state funding is down. Through numerous meetings about how to remedy these issues, I can more easily understand the macro and micro concepts of how the business side of a community college works, making me a more well-rounded employee.

                Another memorable class in my master’s program which has greatly affected my thinking and practice was Dr. Usiak’s EAD 824:  Leading Teacher Learning. Because I don’t work in the traditional K-12 school system and I don’t teach, I wasn’t sure how good of a fit this class would be. However, since my concentration for my MAED program is in leadership, I figured any class on leading would be useful. Thankfully, I was correct in my assumptions. Through Dr. Usiak’s class I learned a lot about what it means to be a highly respected and valued leader. Given my desire to be a leader in a postsecondary institution, it’s necessary that I understand what a leader like this looks like. With the layout of Glickman’s SuperVision as a guide, I recognize that the three prerequisites to being a successful leader are knowledge, interpersonal skills, and technical skills. With this in mind and in discussion with my classmates, I realized that I needed to get more comfortable and familiar with the technical side of working in a community college, especially if my goal is to get promoted. Since this class I’ve become a part of the subcommittee of the Enrollment Management Cabinet which focuses on Recruitment. This subcommittee takes a look at applicants and compares the data of enrollment from previous semesters, with the goal of targeting certain groups in ways that we can boost enrollment. This experience will give me more hands-on understanding of technical skills, as we will continually work with data, numbers, and computer programs to track—and determine—our success. Along with Glickman’s guide to what it takes to be a successful leader, Dr. Usiak’s class also reiterated the importance of trust in building a successful leader, and, in turn, school. Without trust, collaboration amongst people and departments cannot exist in a healthy and productive way. Pay Roy’s article entitled Trust is the On-ramp to Building Collaboration and Collegiality (2007) states five essential facets of trust, the leader must: make educational decisions with the best interest of students in mind, keep their word, believe in their employees, address incompetence in a farm and firm manner, and effectively communicate expectations and overall vision. Although I am not a leader in my current position, I use this information to guide me towards the leader I need to be. With this framework in mind, I recognize the ways in which I might do things differently if I were in a leadership position, giving me the knowledge I need to have in order to be promoted.

                Lastly, Dr. Shahjahan’s EAD 850 class entitled Issues and Strategies in Multicultural Education has given me great perspective, forever altering my line of thinking in regards to social justice and education. Growing up, multicultural education looked like February being dedicated to Black History Month, Thanksgiving devoting some time to Native Americans, and Cinco de Mayo resulted in a quick stop to celebrate Mexican-American culture. Throughout the years, educators have begun to realize the error of their ways. Multicultural education should not just be a place schools and classrooms “drop in” and look around, learning a thing or two about a different culture. Multicultural education should be more immersive, found in everyday activities in the classrooms, from English to History. Along with this, the book used in this class was Sensoy and DiAngelo’s Is Everyone Really Equal: An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education (2012), a text that will remain at the forefront of my brain, one that is readily accessible at all times. It covers topics from socialism, to oppression, to power, to privilege, along with presenting useful tools to combat dangerous misconceptions. So, what does this all have to do with my thinking and practice in my position as Clerk for the Records and Registration department in a community college? For one, it sheds light on the systemic issues that underlie many institutions, including schools and colleges. Like Dr. Apol’s class in reading children’s books and adolescent literature, Dr. Shahjahan’s class has also made me a more sympathetic and empathetic individual, as well as more aware. Being a white woman I have many privileges that are awarded to me on that basis alone. Not only knowing this, but also understanding this, allows for me to be a better employee. With an institution that has a department dedicated to diversity and inclusion, I understand its purpose, where others around me see it as unnecessary and overly sensitive. By being an advocate for this department and all it has to offer, I’m making a statement and taking a stance, a thought process I didn’t previously entertain.

                While it has not been easy to synthesize the priceless journey of my MAED program, I certainly tried to articulate the value of all it has had to offer. First and foremost, this voyage has given me back my voice and confidence. Having been out of academia and getting lost in the workforce, I had forgotten how refreshing and revitalizing it was to engage in educational discourse. On top of this, the online format gave me a sense of comfort and safety I had never experienced in the classroom setting previously, allowing me to grow a pair of wings, so to speak. This has allowed me to not only flourish in the classroom but to also find my voice among my co-workers, especially in my committees. This master’s program has also given me a deeper sense of self, reminding me that the power of literature can create not only a better person, but also a better employee. Along with this idea I was also able to hone my critical thinking skills, making me more apt and able to contribute in complex situations. Lastly, the MAED program has opened my eyes in regards to multicultural education and social justice issues. Working at a community college that is comprised of individuals of many varied races, backgrounds, and abilities, it’s important that I am aware of the various challenges they may face. This will make me better able to assist them, making me a true asset to the college. In the end, the many ways in which I’ve grown—academically, personally, professionally—cannot be put to paper. I hope, however, that I was able to give some justice to my overall positive and enlightening experience of earning my Master of Arts in Education degree.