Moral, Ethical & Spiritual Compass

My moral, ethical, and spiritual compass is mostly guided by my commitment to social justice and equity. Through my role in student affairs, I am intentional in my work to ensure that all students have access and the opportunity to receive a quality, learning-centered, and meaningful educational experience. I feel that working to eliminate racism, hatred, ignorance and increase collaboration across communities is a moral and ethical responsibility of all student affairs professionals.

It was not until recently that I saw spirituality as an integral component of this compass; I have come to understand that spirituality goes beyond a religious institution. Personally, it is a process in which individuals begin to believe and explore their purpose in life. 

Last year, in collaboration with Dr. Jose Calderon, Professor of Sociology and Chicano Studies at Pitzer College  (then visiting professor and inaugural professor of the endowed Michi and Walter Weglyn Chair for Multicultural Studies at Cal Poly Pomona), I took a group of Cal Poly Pomona students to California's Central Valley for five days during spring break to retrace the footsteps of the legendary Latino leader, Cesar E. Chavez . During this trip, we visited the National Chavez Center where Chavez's gravesite is located, met with members of his family, and toured the museum to learn about Cesar's life and dedication to obtain dignity for farm workers and their families.  Since this was an alternative spring-break service-learning field trip, we also helped frame historical documents and pictures at the United Farm Workers' (UFW) Forty Acres and participated in a pro-immigrant rally with the UFW co-founder, Dolores Huerta.

This was a deeply spiritual experience for me. It was very powerful to see how students found hope and felt inspired by the life of one man. Today, students who participated in the alternative spring break are active in their communities. Personally, facilitating this activity was a turning point in my professional career. I feel a moral responsibility to continue educating myself and others about Cesar E. Chavez and other leaders and I feel equally responsible to design other opportunities where students can explore their spirituality and purpose in life.

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Before attending Azusa Pacific University, I had very little knowledge about Christian or faith-based higher education. Though, as senior in high school, I applied for admission to a couple of Catholic universities. However, in the course CSA 581: Foundations of Higher Education I had the opportunity to write a comparative paper (listed below), where I learned about two different traditions  within Christian Higher Education and then analyzed how these traditions may impact the development and implementation of policies, decision-making, and student development.  While I do not feel that I am fully knowledgeable on this topic, this paper allowed me  "to articulate a Christian worldview that reflects the values, ethics, and principle teachings of the Christian faith."

þ Christian Higher Education Comparative Paper

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As a moral and ethical student affairs professional, it is my responsibility to understand the mission and values of the Division of Student Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona. Additionally, it is my responsibility to understand how this mission and values compliment the mission of the University.  By acknowledging these responsibilities, I can better understand my role within the University and the division, and my role in the larger context of higher education in the United States.

As a member of the ACPA College Educators International,  I also adhere to the Statement of Ethical and Principle Standards published by this body, which serves as a guideline to promote ethical practice and accountability.