Gear Up for Spring 2020

Today, I had the privilege of helping at the Gear Up for Spring 2020 event.  The event was targeted at any student who was undecided about their major.  The purpose was to introduce students to the different schools/colleges at St. Cloud State University and connect them to faculty members in the various departments to answer any questions they may have about specific majors/programs.  Also, the event then allowed students to schedule an appointment to meet with their academic advisor and get the access code needed for Spring semester course registration.

My involvement was through the Career Center, which had a table at the start of the event.  In my role, I asked students right when they got into the event, "do you have a major?", those that did, I explained the layout and what was being offered. For students who didn't have a declared major or were uncertain about the major they currently have, I invited them to take the "Husky Interest Assessment", which asked them to mark whether or not they were interested in the activity stated in each question, add up the columns, and then list their top two results.  The assessment used Holland Codes, so students were then asked to read the information of their top two results (two of the following letters: RIASEC).  Once they read the more detailed information, I asked them if what they read reflects themselves and their interests and if so, in what ways and conversely, if the categories didn't reflect them, why not?  After learning more about their interests, I had them look at the back side of the sheet that highlighted the six types and included specific majors at SCSU related to each type.  Upon further conversation, I was able to help students develop a starting point for what interests them and what majors may be a good fit for them.  Lastly, I encouraged the students to then go speak with faculty in the schools/colleges that related to their results to learn more about the major/program options available to them, but reminded them that their results aren't meant to limit them, but act more as a starting point.

The time I spent at the event was rewarding and reflecting on it, I found great joy out of helping students at the event.  It was encouraging to see students that were hesitant/nervous at first meeting and then after our discussion they seemed to feel more comfortable and ready to take on the rest of the event.  Looking back, I noticed I utilized skills discussed in a few of my courses.  One skill being active listening, as I had to ask a question and then give them the space to reflect, tell me how they felt and then be able to make them feel heard by reflecting back the insights they mentioned to me.  Another skill I utilized was asking open-ended questions, which prompted student's to think about their own personality and interests and in turn allowed me to understand the best way to guide them through the process of figuring out which schools/colleges would be of interest to them.  Through the event, I not only practiced relevant skills, but I also gained personal insight.  The event allowed me to reaffirm my passion for learning about career and personality assessments/inventories.  I understand the basics of Holland Codes, but after speaking with a full-time staff member of the Career Center at the event, she provided me with more information and resources available to learn more about Holland Codes and other inventories/assessments relevant to working in a Career Center.  Overall, being able to help at the event was a wonderful experience and allowed me to grow and develop my own professional skills as a future student affairs educator.