George Washington Carver

"One of the things that has helped me as much as any other, is not how long I am going to live but how much I can do while living." - George Washington Carver

As a graduate student in the Office of Multicultural Students Affairs (MSA) Office at ISU, Fall 2010 – Fall 2011, I worked with a team to implement the George Washington Carver (GWC) Scholarship Program by teaching two courses each semester, University Studies 105 and 106, including developing class content and delivery. I also helped GWC Scholars and the MSA Office and other campus departments with scholarship, student recruitment, and retention. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of my position, I made myself an available resource to students, both professionally and personally, by creating meaningful relationships, critical conversations, and developing a safe environment.

In my current position I continue to make myself available to GWC Scholars and the MSA Office staff. This semester the GWC staff invited me to participate on the GWC Academy field trip to visit the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri.

Yesterday, March 31, 2012, 20 Scholars, a MSA staff and I visited the George Washington Carver National Monument. It was a great experience visiting the national monument. We had the opportunity to hear and learn more about his life, as we were walking and exploring the national monument.

My favorite place was the Carver Trail, a popular place to stop and rest and the Boy Carver Statue is located too, where it is believed that GWC started to experience with plants. Next to the statue a pond is located, then the original foundation of the house where he grew up.

My favorite activity was in the Carver Science Classroom. We created peanut milk. Everyone was given two peanuts, we took the peanut out of the shell, and we smashed the peanuts, and then added water and mixed all the peanuts until it turned white, peanut milk. It was simply and easy.

Often times, GWC is referred as the “peanut guy.” When in reality he was more than just the peanut guy. He was the world’s most significant scientist.

Carver’s inventions and contributions:

• About 300 peanut-products
• Sweet potato products
• Soybeans into plastic
• Wood shavings into synthetic marble
• Cotton into paving blocks
• Crop-rotation methods giving special stress to nitrogen replenishing role of legume products

Carver’s Recognitions

• “One of world’s most significant scientists” – Franklin D Roosevelt.
• Carver Research Foundation at Tuskegee, in his name.
• His birthplace was declared as a national monument in 1953.
• Multiple patents for his inventions (of course!)
• Was widely recognized for his humility
• Honorary doctorate from Simpson College (1928)
• Honorary member of the Royal Society of Arts, England. In 1923, he
• Received the Spingarn Medal in 1923.
• Roosevelt medal for restoring southern agriculture (1939).
• National monument dedicated to Carver and Carver’s inventions (1943 July 14).

ACPA 2012

From March 22, 2012 through March 28, 2012 I am participating in the 2012 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. This is my first time that I participate in ACPA and my first time visiting Louisville, previous years I have only participated in Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA). Both of the conferences and associations have been a positive experience for me.

In 2011 NASPA Region IV-E Conference I had the opportunity to compete in the case study, Allison Severson and I obtained first place in the competition. In 2012 ACPA, I am presenting two round-tables sessions.

The first session is Greek Advisor Survivor: Understanding the between Greek Life Councils’ Cultures, presenters Jessica Knerr, Lyston Skerritt, and I. his round table discussion will focus on the unique characteristics of four common undergraduate fraternity/sorority councils and strategies for student affairs professionals to advice and create policy more effectively. Attendees will acquire a better understanding of the cultural context that defines NPHC, IFC, Panhellenic and MGC operation through sharing ideas and strategies that have worked on different campuses. Presenters will evaluate the role of student affairs professionals in increasing collaboration between councils and dispelling prejudice and stereotypes.

The second sessions is called Reconceptualizing Leadership Development for Latino/a Graduate Students, presenter Dr. Nancy J. Evans, Dr. Mary Jo Gonzales, and I. Gabriel Barela and Amanda-Rae Barboza are joining me and Dr. Evans to present because Dr. Gonzales was not able to attend. In this session we will look at the Latina/o Leadership development. How do we empower Latina/o graduate students to aspire to higher education leadership? More importantly, how do we, as higher education professionals, encourage, support, and promote Latina/o graduate students to become our future leaders? There is a significant need to support Latina/o graduate students through culturally appropriate means to increase the number of Latina/o higher education leaders and enhance their potential leadership options. We will address this need through examination of relevant theory and literature and discussion of case studies.

Overall, I am enjoying the conference. I am growing as a young professional. The sessions, presentation and speakers are helping me to take new ideas and implement them at my current institution. The networking is AMAZING! I have had the opportunity to reconnect with old and new friends that are working at different institutions in the student affairs field.

A swan's spring beginning

Lancelot's first spring day at Lake LaVerne, Iowa State University.

My first Spring Break working

What did I do during Spring Break 2012?

Spring break 2012 is my first Spring break that I work as a professional at a university. For the past 5 years, as an undergraduate and master student, I traveled every Spring break. Friends and I planned in advance our Spring break. We visited Chicago, Houston, South Padre, Omaha, Kansas City, among other cities across the United States.

As I mentioned earlier, Spring break 2012 was my first spring break to be working full-time at a university setup. I felt somewhat out of place; most of my cohort and friends traveled back to their homes or to a different city. This spring break I was not able to travel, but I was able to get a lot of work done in the office. Here are some of the projects that I worked on:

• Painted the walls office.
• Cleaned and re-arranged the office.
• Met with a few students to talk about Fall and Summer 2012 class registration.
• Met with prospective students and their families.
• Finalized the planning for the second multicultural portfolio workshop.
• Working on my ACPA presentation.
• I was able to complete other projects that I had not had an opportunity to complete.
• And, I had the time to reflect.

During this Spring break I did not travel. However, I stayed to work on various projects in the office, and reflected how everyday I continue to grow as a scholar, and professional. It has only been four month that I been at my current position. I am professionally content. I cannot complain, I have not graduated yet, and I already have a job. J Graduation is in 48 days, Friday, May 4, 2011.

My journey at ISU

As I continue working as a student affairs professional at the university level, my goal is to educate and influence students to pursue higher education. The College of Human Science and Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at Iowa State University (ISU) have helped me attain the necessary tools to navigate my role as a student affairs professional in the world of academics. During my experience in the master’s program for student affairs at ISU, I have been actively involved inside and outside the classroom by participating in meaningful and critical conversation with ELPS instructors, members of the 2011, 2012, and 2013 cohorts, colleagues from the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), College of Design, and other professionals across the university. My experience both as a graduate assistant and student has helped me dig into the buffet of activities at the ISU. Not only will I be graduating with a master’s degree (M.Ed.) in student affairs, but I will also be graduating with a firm knowledge of what I love to do: helping students succeed in the college setting.

One needs to learn from the best to become the best, which I believe is found in an educational setting where theory is translated to practice. In the course of my academic work, graduate assistantship, practicum experiences, conference attendance, and presentations, I had the opportunity to apply and translate theory to practice. Through my journey at ISU, both inside and outside of the classroom, I have achieved my personal and professional goals, as well as the learner outcomes for the master’s degree in student affairs. Tomorrow, March 5, 2012, I will present my learning portfolio, I will share three learner outcomes that I believe best depict how I have become a better student affairs professional and have acquired the skills necessary to accomplish my goals.

C.L.A.P. with Science Bound

Science Bound at Iowa State University is changing a generation through science and math education. Science Bound is a pre-college program to increase the number of ethnically diverse student who pursue ASTEM (agricultural, scientific, technical, engineering and mathematics) degrees.

Students are invited to participate during the end of their 7^th grade year. Student participants must meet program requirements, including satisfactory completion of a science fair project and an essay that demonstrates a desire to give to, and learn from Science Bound. High school participants must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0, participate in 75% of the program activities, and present a satisfactory oral justification yearly for continuation.

Iowa State University provides core administrative and financial support, including scholarships. Regular meetings with teachers and visits to the Iowa State campus are the program's core. Additionally, students participate in summer academic programs, overnight retreats, and study tables.

Science Bound is an opportunity for students to learn more about higher education, and if the student successful completes the high school program, and meets the admissions to Iowa State, and pursue a technical degree, the student will receive a full-paid tuition scholarship from the university.

Students expose to higher education, at an early age, benefit by developing a more positive attitude towards science, math, and improve their academic achievement.

My first experience with Science Bound students was on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Iowa State campus. Over 200+ students participated in a day full of educational events and sessions. During each session students had the opportunity to learn more about the ASTEM degrees, ask questions to students, faculty and staff, and heard motivational speakers.

At the beginning of the day I was challenged to have meaningful interactions and conversations with the 7^th - 12^th grade students. At some point, I had to stop to think and reflect on my previous experience teaching 3^rd grade and high school classes in Elsik High School, Houston, and asked myself how can I have an effective interaction with students.

I was challenged to interact with the students participating in the event, because I have been working with college students. College students are expected to be more mature, they are responsible for their own behavior and own learning. While high school students still need someone to consistently remind them about their behavior and responsibilities. Yes, there are some college students that still have not change their behavior or responsibility from high school, so responsibility is to challenge them to develop leadership and personal integrity, demonstrating respect for others, and understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work.

In Science Bound I learned how to C.L.A.P. and how to help student succeed with P6.

Check your attitude
Lean in and learn
Ask and appreciate
Participate

P6 = Proper planning and preparation produces powerful performance.

During my experience with Science Bound I learned some new techniques to inspire the uninspired, how to have effective interactions with students. Also, it was a great opportunity for me to reflect on why I enjoy the work that I do: helping student succeed.

Relating my experiences to their experiences

The pozole and menudo (Mexican red soups) were made for special occasions to celebrate family gatherings, the tasty tamales were made during the holiday season, winter break, the pastel de tres leches (three milks cake) during birthday celebrations, and the pinto beans were cooked as an everyday meal. The streets were full of color, the public transportation was full of people with their grocery bags, and the children played soccer or hide-and-seek in their neighborhoods. But my reality, in a new town, Madison, NE, seemed unreal. The pozole and menudo were transforming into chicken noodles, the tamales into pizza, the pastel de tres leches into brownies, and the beans into french-fries potatoes. Everything was different. Slowly, I learned to adapt to the American culture because that is the way society does things around here. I was forced to learn English fast because there were not many Latinos around with whom I could have communicated in Spanish.

I learned to value what I had left behind at home [Mexico] when I tried to make friends at my new school. In Mexico my friends never made fun of me. In Madison, students were amused with me because I was the new student who did not speak English, and if I spoke English I would sound humorous to others because of my accent. During the phase of making new friends I had the power to ignore those people that did not accept me for who I was. Being the new kid in school who did not speak English was not fun but it was a learning experience. I learned that I am an intelligent young man because of my capacity to learn a new language quickly, adapt to a new culture, and with aptitude I am able to form friendships. I faced many challenges and I bravely confronted others until I felt accepted in a new culture.

Today, as a student affairs professional, in my current position, I have the opportunity to work with international students. I am able to relate my experiences to their experiences. Over the past three months I have learned to recognize that some international students are challenged to adapt to the American culture. They do not understand why in America we focus so much in race and ethnicity. Then, I have to have a conversation and explain why are we asking for acceptance, that historically has not been recognized. They miss traditional homemade food; they miss their family and friends. I have learned to ask about their experience, to create a safe-space, to validate those experiences and their identities, and to provide mentorship, resources and support.

I ask international students, “How is your experience?” I am amazed to hear the challenges and adventures that they face. I am more surprise to know that they do not have faculty and staff that ask them about their experiences. My goal is to see them succeed in their academics and in extra curricular activities, so they can take leadership position.