Higher Education Philosophy Statement
Louisiana State University
Higher Education Master’s Portfolio
Michala M Pollock
My journey with higher education was not a conventional route. It wasn’t until I had more experience being out of college and found that I wasn’t as prepared as I hoped. After finding my way, I wanted to mentor others with the new findings I had found. This brings me to my first tenet, compassion, and understanding are vital to helping others understand their niche. Higher education is so much more to me than just another educational system. It’s the way to finding your way in the world. To be a higher education professional means you’re compassionate and understanding of students finding their way.
With that being said, the next tenet I found was important to me was the concept that education and opportunity are for all children and young adults. By holding the value of compassion and understanding we must be open to the idea that all socioeconomic levels, races, genders, sexualities, etc. are invited to learn and educate themselves. Personally, I think being in the higher education profession means that this is something we’re passionate about and fighting for justice on this matter. That we’re finding ways for all types of people to have higher education available to them and we’re aware of the ways that are hindering people from pursuing higher education.
My last tenant is to bring honor back to the educational system. There’s a lot of roadblocks in the education system today, especially in higher education, that needs to be addressed and fought for. Of course, the sentiments I mentioned prior to education being available to all, is a major issue in the higher education system. To me being in this profession I believe we need to bring honor back to it by fighting for resolutions – for more immigrant college graduates, more options for financial aid, and an aim to be a diverse body at every university.
It’s hard, to sum up, what it means to be a higher education professional because it means a lot to me. It means a lot to me that every student is counted for and seen, we’re using compassion and understanding as a backbone to approaching student affairs and we’re bringing honor back to the educational system. Higher education is where I found a lot of myself, and this program only enhanced that ideal. I’ve only found more of myself and understood even to a greater degree how important this career is to me through this program. I’m so excited to fight for students and to hold these tenets dear.
Michala Pollock's Higher Ed Master's Portfolio 