WASHINGTON, PA (Feb. 27, 2017) - When it comes to active students on Washington & Jefferson College’s (W&J’s) campus, you won’t find many more involved than senior political science and thematic gender & women’s studies major Devon Dobbs.
Devon’s hard work and dedication to making campus life enjoyable and rewarding landed her on the radar of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and she was selected into the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP).
“It is such an honor to receive this fellowship because it provides great opportunities for students from underrepresented communities to excel and advance within the field of higher education,” she said.
NASPA’s mission is to be the principal source of leadership, scholarship, professional development, and advocacy for the Student Affairs profession. Its NUFP program is extremely competitive, and pairs members of underrepresented populations with a Student Affairs professional. As an NUFP fellow, Devon will attend the 2017 NASPA Undergraduate Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and will have the chance to network with professionals from all across the country.
Devon believes that her work on campus is what led to her receiving this amazing opportunity.
“I think my wide variety of involvement is what allowed me to get accepted into this program. I have been actively involved in many of the campus’s multicultural organizations (Black Student Union, Diversity Programming Board, Gay Straight Alliance), and to go into student affairs it is important to have worked on creating more inclusive environments with diverse student populations,” she said.
Devon has also helped plan many campus events and has an internship in the W&J Student Life Office. While working there, she helped create the organization Advocates for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP), which she also believes helped her earn this fellowship. She believes that NASPA is one way the field of Student Affairs, and its members, can grow and thrive.
“NASPA is a fairly large student affairs association and being a NUFP fellow allows for professional development experiences through conferences and internships, which is a great way to network and build upon communication skills,” she said. “Higher education is still considered a fairly new and small profession, so having the opportunity to meet and connect with higher ed. professionals from all over the country is amazing.”
Devon is incredibly honored and excited for this opportunity, and cannot wait to see what other opportunities it will bring her.
“So many previous NUFP fellows have talked about how this experience has been life changing and how it has opened up many doors and I am looking forward to seeing where NUFP takes me in the near future,” she said.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
