Talking Stick - March/April 2017 - 55

associations, I am treated differently
and often pay a lot more. The biggest
difference I've encountered is that the
way professional associations treat
those not at formal higher education
institutions can vary greatly. In
some associations, I can't present at
conferences without partnering with
a colleague at an institution. While
these changes are not insurmountable,
they have definitely challenged my
professional identity.

Marfo: I'll agree with Paul here.
Despite working for a different type of
organization, I still consider myself an
educator and a practitioner. Barriers
to participation like higher costs or
an inability to access current research
challenge that understanding. I'd
hope for SA-aligned to be a more
recognized category that can be seen
as collaborative rather than combative.
Affordable access to association
resources, conference attendance/
contribution, and research databases
would be a great start!

and working together to provide
positive experiences remains the
primary objective.

Brown: Although I don't know
that I'd call this a struggle, per se, I
definitely notice that I'm far more
aware of how my work performance
relates to the organization as a whole.
Working for myself and working for a
small company highlights the reality
that my work is directly related to
my financial security and success.
At larger institutions, I feel like this
reality can sometimes get lost. In
my current role, doing my job well
is directly tied to how successful our
company is and ultimately to my salary
and benefits as well as the salary
and benefits of my team members.
TS: What are the benefits (tangible
and intangible) that you've experienced
since making the leap into the student
affairs-aligned realm versus staying
in the mainstream brick and mortar
higher ed roles that the majority of
Talking Stick readers are in?

Singer: One thing which often
amuses me is that because I direct
a Greek-letter organization, many
individuals inside and outside of
higher education assume that it is a
social sorority/fraternity. Truly, we
are an educational organization with
a focus on leadership development.
The work that we do is grounded
in an understanding of student
development. However, while I may
still perceive myself as an educator,
there are a number of people who I
interact with on and off campuses that
do not share that perception.

Boone: I would agree that there
are differing impressions of what
"aligned" means to people within
the student affairs profession. Yes,
you do encounter people who treat
you differently. However, the role we
play as a contracted service provider
is different, and as a result that does
inherently change the relationship.
However, the relationships are critical,

Marfo: I love that I have a chance to
explore new areas and incorporate
them into my work. I'm finding ways
to make comedy and my love of humor
part of my sessions - both in terms of
the delivery and the actual content - as
I teach students and professionals how
to use it in their interactions with one
another and when handling difficult
situations. I truly found that hard to do
when I was on campus, where norms
were different and time was limited.
Speaking of norms and time . . .
I badly needed to work in a more
flexible manner, and there likely
wasn't a campus that was going to be
able to offer me that. Being able to
travel and do work on a schedule that
works for me (I am useless most days
before 10:30 a.m., and being master of
my own calendar allows me to plan for
that) has made a world of difference in
my productivity and effectiveness.
Brown: I wholeheartedly agree

with Amma on her point about
work flexibility. I have far more of
that now than I ever had in higher
education. I can now work from home,
set my own hours, and even benefit
from a more flexible vacation policy.
It has allowed me to continue
my independent speaking as a side
gig while working a full-time job. I am
far more balanced, happy, and healthy.

Boone: I think the benefits are
going to differ based on individual
situations. In my case, being able to
telecommute full time is something I
wholly cherish. As a huge extrovert, it
is something to which I had to adapt,
but which I have found I enjoy. I love
working for my company and the
opportunities it has given me.
Singer: Although I miss some of
the comforts of being on a campus,
the opportunity to engage with and
support students on a national level is
something I cherish.
TS: What is it that you wished you
knew about embarking on a new
career field in the aligned realm? What
do you want others to know?

Singer: There is an element of
isolation. Instead of being on
a campus with 300 acres, 750
colleagues, and 10,000 students, I'm
located in a 2,000-square-foot building
with only seven other individuals.
There are fewer people to engage in
daily conversations about strategies
and best practices. The national
network of volunteers is a great
resource, but as a person who literally
grew up on a campus and worked on
one for 30 years, being in my aligned
role sometimes just feels different.
Brown: In many ways, student
affairs work is as much a job as it is a
lifestyle. Moving outside of this realm
means that your lifestyle will change.
Depending on the position, it's likely
 CONTINUES  58

MARCH + APRIL 2017

55
Talking Stick - March/April 2017

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