This month's Student Spotlight features Sharece Bunn, a student in the College Student Services Administration program.
What attracted you to this program?
I wanted a program that would prepare me for work in higher education. The reason I settled on OSU’s CSSA Program is largely because it was in Western Oregon. I’m a native Oregonian and after spending a lot of time traveling and living in other places, I’ve decided that I want to make Oregon my home.
What was your undergraduate major?
My undergraduate major was English. I also have an MS in Journalism.
What has some of your previous work experience been?
After completing my undergraduate degree, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine for two years as a primary and secondary school teacher. When I returned to the United States, I did several different jobs including working as a temporary factory worker, bank teller, and ELD instructional assistant to primary school children. I then went to graduate school for Journalism at the U of O. While I completed my capstone project, I worked at the grade school again in a special education classroom. Following this, I went back to Ukraine as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer for ten months where I worked at Ternopil National Pedagogical University (TNPU) where I worked as a university English teacher.
How did you get interested in College Student Services Administration (CSSA)?
I found a true passion for higher education while I was working at TNPU. I returned to Oregon hoping to find a job in higher education that would utilize my education in communications and journalism, while allowing me to work with students who are engaged in their education. A student’s college education is about so much more than the degree and the piece of paper they can hang on their walls. The student development that occurs throughout their college education is amazing. I can’t help but be attracted to this process. I’ve noticed that as I study and work for the university, I’m continuing to grow, learn, and develop and I love this process.
What do you enjoy or find most beneficial /helpful about/in this program?
I think the thing that sets CSSA off from other programs is the social justice piece. Here at OSU, social justice is a major part of the curriculum and is a focus of most departments on campus. This has been incredibly valuable to me and gives me hope for the future.
Tell us a little more about yourself.
I feel like I’ve already shared a lot about myself in the previous questions. I’m a native Oregonian. I love this state. I’m the youngest of five children. I’m a third generation college graduate. (We’ve been very privileged in our education, though we have all worked our way.) I love to travel and learn about and experience different cultures. I’m very interested in education abroad and learning about the student development students experience in their abroad experiences. I’m also interested in learning more about how we can incorporate social justice education including the understanding of systems of oppression into our education abroad programs. I speak Ukrainian confidently. I have five nieces and one nephew. When the rigor of grad school seems to get to me a little bit, I usually go north to see my family so two of my nieces can give me a little bit of perspective on life.
Sharece also has a blog where she is chronicling her journey through the CSSA program. You can read it here: http://journeycssa.wordpress.com/.