NASPA Region II

It’s Careers in Student Affairs Month!

🎓 “Every day is a new opportunity to support and guide students on their journey. What’s your favorite part of working in Student Affairs?

Here is Leslie Liang, Director of the Office for Adult Learner Programs and Services at Penn State hosting a program about the experience students have in the lunchroom. Leslie does this work because it’s so important to learn the stories and experiences of our community to assist in building a bridge of cultural connection

Dr. Sharod L. Tomlinson, Assistant Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Student Belonging.

“I have been blessed to live out my calling in Student Affairs—a profession rooted in the belief that education extends beyond the classroom and that every student carries untapped potential waiting to be nurtured. Student Affairs is not simply a career; it is a vocation of impact, influence, and inspiration.

The joy of this work rests in walking alongside students during some of the most formative years of their lives. It is in the late-night conversations that calm anxieties, the workshops that spark newfound confidence, and the mentoring moments that plant seeds of leadership, resilience, and character. Each encounter has reinforced my conviction that success is not only measured in degrees earned, but in lives transformed.

Over nearly two decades, I have witnessed countless stories of growth—students who arrived uncertain about their future but discovered their voice, their purpose, and their strength. To have played even a small part in those journeys is a privilege beyond measure. The joy multiplies as these same students return as alumni, leaders, and change agents, carrying forward the lessons of community, perseverance, and service.

Celebrating Student Affairs Month reminds me that this profession is about building bridges: between hope and opportunity, challenge and triumph, students’ dreams and their lived realities. It is about fostering spaces of belonging, affirming the dignity of every student, and ensuring that no one walks alone on the path to achievement.”