Final Reflection
Since beginning the Youth Development Leadership Master’s Degree Program, I feel that I have developed as both a professional and a person. These past two years have been filled with challenges, excitement, heartbreak, and revelations in my professional, academic, and personal life. During the program I was promoted twice within my organization- The Mockingbird Society, which challenged me professionally to become a stronger leader. I have learned to advocate better for myself and my team. My final role as a program manager was an exciting challenge for me and my first opportunity to supervise professional staff. In taking this new position, I learned that I enjoy and am capable of supervising a team. My skills and confidence as a youth development professional have increased tremendously, through both increased practice and work experience. However, I also attribute my boost in confidence to my broader knowledge-base of and reflection on best practices in youth development that learned while completing this program.
Academically, I became more proficient and efficient in learning course content and connecting content to my day-to-day practice. I now instinctively ask questions about our programming decisions and whether they align with best practices and known theories. Specifically, I challenge our staff to be intentional in their choices - from the selecting of activities to the food provided. Instead of trying to ‘just fill’ program time, I ask staff to think about the purpose of the activity and how it aligns to the program’s theory of change and the stated desired outcomes. I challenge the team to prioritize practices that ensure quality program implementation. Furthermore, I bring forward the need to continually evaluate the programming, whether it is through a formal survey, focus group, or just a short conversation. We can always do better, and we must strive to do better for the young people we serve.
Personally, I suffered some of the greatest losses of my life while completing this degree program. The unexpected loss of my mother, and later, my grandmother was heartbreaking. Unexpectedly to me, through my grief, I began to shift my understanding of who I am as a person and how I want to interact with society. I have changed how I view youth programming and my role as a youth development worker. Specifically, it became more evident to me the impact my supportive parents had on my development. I also had a revelation of the oppression I face as a bi-racial woman. Ultimately, the culmination of this identity shift has been a stronger desire to pursue a career in STEM after school programming for girls of color. While I entered the program with this intent, I leave the program with a stronger conviction to follow this calling.
My future goal is to find position in a STEM education program that serves girls and women of color. To make connections in the STEM education field, I want to begin volunteering with local youth-serving organizations. In whatever position I obtain I will bring my professional philosophy that youth programming should be intentionally planned, implemented in a quality manner and continually evaluated. Furthermore, I will carry with me the belief that youth voice should be centered in each stage of programming. Positive Youth Development is not an end point, but a process (Hamilton, Hamilton, & Pittman, 2004). In that spirit, I aim to be a life-long learner. I want to continue to learn how to be an effective supervisor. I would also like to learn more about program evaluation and specifically youth participatory evaluation processes. I value youth participatory evaluations because the process centers youth voice while also providing an opportunity for skill building. I plan to attend non-profit seminars and conduct informational interviews and/or shadow local professionals to gain greater knowledge in these areas.
Hamilton, S.F., Hamilton, M.A., & Pittman, K. (2004). Principles for youth development. In S. Hamilton & M. Hamilton (Eds.), The Youth Development Handbook: Coming of Age in American Communities (pp. 3 – 22). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
Appreciations
I cannot put into words the amount of gratitude I have for those around me. I will be forever thankful for the support I received from my family, friends, professors, coworkers, classmates, and the young people I work with.
*Images designed by Jaleel Rogers
*Portfolio Picture by Michael B. Maine
