DJ Stroud: I'll Spread My Wings and I'll Learn How to Fly

Pictured above: DJ Stroud with his co-workers Becca, Lexy, and Katelin outside of Dunster House (one of Harvard University's houses used during the summer for the Pre-College Summer Program).

I was originally the most hesitant person in my Honors 211 travel lab class about going up to New York, so far away from home. When I learned that the breakaway aspect of the Honors College curriculum was mandatory, I even had thoughts about removing myself from the program. I’m so glad I didn’t. Not only did the Honors College experience open doors for me here at Lander, but it also opened doors that allowed me to intern with Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education and to travel to Liberty University to participate in the BigSURS research conference.

My journey at Harvard lasted seven weeks. I grew not only professionally, but personally as well. I was able to finally remove the mental block I had that kept me from taking advantage of opportunities outside of my comfort zone. As I think back to my first day at Lander and the first day of the Honors College trip to New York, I remember being filled with a mix of emotions that led to tears. When I got off my plane at the Boston-Logan International airport, all I felt was excitement and drive. I was ready to submerge myself in a culture that I knew would be very different from the sweet-tea loving, y’all-ing, relaxed-pace southern environment I grew up in.

And I wasn’t wrong. I had to rely solely on public transportation, which was one of the biggest changes in my day-to-day life. I had to learn how to respond to a pre-college demographic. I had to become more versed with diversity and inclusion as the students I supervised came from a variety of different backgrounds. I had to be ready to drop everything with just a moment’s notice to respond to a crisis from beginning to finish. I had to communicate exponentially more with my residents. Gaining the experience of completing all of those tasks during my first full-time job within my field is more valuable than I could ever put into words. While I thought I had adequate time management skills, I quickly became aware that I still had a lot more to learn.

I made sure to take advantage of opportunities that were presented to me. I was able to attend informative, interesting peer research circles and professional development events. I was able to take on the role of trip leader in many of our off-campus excursions. During those excursions I had so many firsts. I was able to see a Red Sox game at Wrigley Field. I had the opportunity to go whale-watching. I was able to walk the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston.

It wasn’t until about halfway through the program that I really began to understand the type of impression I was making on my new bosses. I have had the same three employers for the last four years, so I had forgotten what it felt like to have a boss who was still in the process of developing an opinion of me and my work ethic. I was given multiple leadership roles directly by our Assistant Director. I was able to serve on the Student Conduct Committee as well as the end-of-year banquet planning committee. I had made such an impression that my supervisors trusted me to help out the committees that were mainly composed of graduate-level students. Until that point, my experience in the Student Affairs sector had been limited to Housing and Residence Life. Though I had some experience with programming as a Resident Assistant, I also never had the experience of planning a large-scale program with a generous budget. Being submerged in those new professional environments, I discovered that I also really enjoy event planning. If I were to ever switch my emphasis amongst the various departments within Student Affairs, I can now see myself working in the department of Student Activities. My career field is one where employees need to be versatile and to be prepared to gain more experience and knowledge with each day as our Higher Education system continues to develop.

The biggest moment of realization that I have what it takes to make it in the world of Higher Education Student Affairs came late one night during the program’s second session. It was about thirty minutes past residents’ curfew when my co-workers and I noticed a young man exiting our residence area and walking out to the street. It was our original thought he was either trying to get food he may have ordered or to sneak over to the other residence area to hang with some of his friends. As we caught up with him, he immediately collapsed on the bench. Within seconds, we heard ambulance sirens. There was no central air-conditioning or window units where we stayed, only a small box fan to cool an entire room. It was presumed by my co-workers that he had just simply gotten over-heated and dehydrated. In that moment, I noticed he was wearing a dog-tag necklace, but it wasn’t a normal one worn for fashion. It was a medical ID necklace. I leaned down to get a closer look and discovered that the resident had sickle cell anemia. When the ambulance arrived, they said they received a distress call from the young man but that they were unable to make out anything he was saying other than his location. I was able to calmly explain his condition to the paramedic who responded and then reached out to his parents to let them know that he was being transported to the local hospital. They were so thankful that I was able to think quickly on my feet and that I cared enough to personally call them as I had been the one to respond to the situation. My Director and Assistant Director were extremely proud of me. I was also proud of myself for handling my first actual crisis situation as well as I did in such an unfamiliar place.

Up until my breakaway experience, I wasn’t entirely sure if Higher Education Student Affairs was for me. I knew that with Lander being a smaller university, things would be run differently at larger institutions which is where I would prefer to spend my career. Being a Proctor for Harvard’s Pre-College Program confirmed that not only do I enjoy working with Housing and Residence Life, but that I have a real talent for it.

In a way, I became an advocate for the Honors College Breakaway experience. The skills I developed professionally and the discoveries I made about myself were mind-blowing to have taken place in such a short period of time. I couldn’t tell my peers enough to take a chance and spread their wings. If you’re on the fence, whether it be because you are nervous to travel, afraid of failure, weary of homesickness… don’t be. I will forever cherish my breakaway experience.

DJ Stroud is a Sociology major in the graduating class of 2018. In addition to being in the Honors College, he is a member of multiple honor societies on campus and is involved in multiple leadership positions on campus including being a Head Resident Assistant for Lander's Department of Housing and Residence Life and being President of Lander's Gay/Straight Alliance. He completed a 7-week breakaway interning with Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education as a Program Proctor for their Pre-College Summer Program. Upon graduation, DJ will begin pursuing his Master's in Education with an emphasis in Higher Education Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he has also secured a graduate assistantship as an Assistant Residence Coordinator for UNCW's Department of Housing and Residence Life.