Everyone has their own process as they go about looking for a Graduate Assistantship in Campus Recreation. Aliyah Valdez, our Florida State Student Leader, has recently completed her search. Read what she has to say about finding the best fit:
My Graduate Assistant search process was one of the most rewarding processes I have ever gone through. Starting out, I was given conflicting information. I had some mentors and supervisors tell me to “apply to as many schools as you possibly can” and other’s tell me that they only applied to two or three. To ensure that I made the correct decision for myself, I created “boxes.” My boxes were my way of ensuring that each school I applied to be the right one for me. This served as a way for me to apply to the schools that checked off most of my boxes and eliminate the ones I knew were not good fits for me. These “boxes” included: location, GA developmental opportunities, supervisor relationship, Master’s program, desire to grow and innovate, diversity, and stipend. These were all things that I knew were important to me and my future within Campus Recreation.
While checking Bluefish every single day, I also began to check my boxes. I took the initiative to set up a preliminary (meaning not a formal interview) phone calls with the institutions I had interest in. These conversations did not only serve as a way for me to get to know them and them to know me, but also ask the necessary questions to learn more about their school, rec center, and how they would check my boxes. Finally, I narrowed my choices down to three. At this time, every second of preparation mattered. Mock interviews with friends and mentors and research on each institution helped me prepare a tremendous amount. As this process began, I knew I always had a number one choice. I knew there was one institution that felt like the right place for me to learn, grown, and develop as a young professional in Campus Recreation. But I also knew the importance of keeping an open mind and being confident that id end up where I belonged. Eventually, it became time to think to myself “if you were offered a position at BLANK university, would you accept?” To effectively navigate that question , I sought out conversation and mentorship from not only my family but my mentors. These conversations mostly surrounded the thoughts of my “boxes.” I wanted to ask myself, critically, if one box meant more to me than others and how each institution fulfilled those. Yet, it was also extremely important for me to ensure that I would be a good fit for their institution as well. I needed to make sure that the person they described when I asked “what are you looking for in your next GA?” was me.
All in all, the challenging conversations I had with mentors, advice I sought in navigating this process, and the diversity of personnel there to guide me, is something I will forever be grateful for. I could’ve gone through this alone but I know it would have been much more difficult. And after all, I am extremely excited to announce that I will be attending (THE) Ohio State University to serve as the Fitness Graduate Assistant.
