Christina Papaleo

From a personal and professional perspective, I am in-between the foundational and intermediate  levels in this competency area. Through Residence Life I am trained in support areas such as crisis intervention, conflict management, and I have promoted mental health outreach programs while at SUNY Cortland. My residence hall houses international students which resulted in many cultural and language barriers throughout the year. However, I learned how to best serve this particular population by understanding differences in cultural norms and appropriate methods of communication. The Techniques of Counseling 1 course I took last semester taught me active listening skills that changed the way I interact with others.

I find fulfillment in guiding and mentoring students through different issues, and I understand there needs to be more conversations about student wellness. My focus group project in the Assessment course I took this semester was a great opportunity to facilitate that conversation. We explored the impact of stress on graduate students, which is a prevalent issue that student affairs educators need to be consciously aware of. As I became more acclimated to the Griff Center, I established rapport with the professional staff, graduate assistants, and work study students. Due to the nature of Disability Support services, I knew a certain level of confidentiality needed to be maintained, especially when interacting with students. At one point, I had the privilege of mentoring a new work study student, and taught her the daily operations of the Proctor Site. I was able to observe staff who practice intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency in this competency area, which I hope to emulate as a professional.