Talking Stick - July/August 2008 - 52

Conversations Gaining Knowledge One Conversation at a Time Members share how priceless those conversations with colleagues at conferences are. Participating in this conversation are Matthew Brown, dean of students at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights; Kendra Hunter, director of residential education at Arizona State University in Tempe; Paul Riel, director of housing at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville; and Beth McCuskey, executive director of residence life, dining services, and Wyoming union at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Kendra Hunter: I believe that the value of the professional conversations, networking connections, and collegial relationships that are built at conferences can be best told through the stories and experiences that we have. One of my mentors and a wonderful teacher, Dr. David Sundberg, once advised me that the greatest thing that we can give to another person is the time, respect, and opportunity for them to tell their story. This advice has stuck with me through my career, and, up until three years ago, I would have liked to think I practiced what was advised of me; but it was only after I attended an amazing ACUHO-I conference that my eyes were opened to the true meaning and value of this advice. I attended a session where a panel of women talked about the career paths they chose to take and the challenges they faced along the way both personally and professionally. Throughout the entire session, there was one woman in particular who I could see a lot of myself in, and after the session I decided to approach this presenter as I wanted to learn more about her situation and how she arrived at the decisions she made regarding her personal life and her professional career paths. The lesson that I learned then and share with you now is that this woman had no idea that taking those extra 15 minutes to tell me her story would have such a significant impact on my life. I learned valuable lessons from the connection that I made with this presenter, and they went back to the initial advice Dr. Sundberg offered about genuinely listening to people’s stories. Since that experience, I persevered through personal and professional challenges and have flourished as a successful residential life leader. Additionally, I have developed a great collegial relationship with the woman whose story changed my life, reconnecting with her annually at the ACUHO-I conference. Often we engage in small talk with new and former colleagues at these conferences – yet how frequently do we genuinely take the time to listen to another person’s story and/or take the time to engage in intentional conversations that are meaningful to our personal and professional growth? The networks and the relationships that we create for ourselves are critical for our success and could ultimately change the life of another individual, as it did for me. While this is only one anecdotal testament, I am interested in the experiences you all have had that demonstrate the value of these types of connections. 52 Talking Stick

Talking Stick - July/August 2008

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