Most Important Skills For A Serna Center Coordinator At Sacramento State
Saray emphasizes the importance of "knowing how to be an active listener" and being understanding of students' diverse backgrounds, highlighting the need to reframe negative mindsets into positive ones so that they "begin to believe in themselves"; on the professional side, Saray notes that the ability to compartmentalize and "not take things personally" is crucial for maintaining well-being while dealing with students' serious concerns.
Active Listening, Empathy, Reframing, Emotional Intelligence, Student Support
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Saray Aguirre
Serna Center Coordinator
California State University, Sacramento
CSU, Sacramento
CSU, Sacramento - MA in Education (Higher Educational Leadership & Policy Studies)
Anthropology, Sociology
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Active listening is crucial: Knowing when to listen without interrupting or offering advice is key, as students often just need someone to hear them.
2. Understanding diverse perspectives: Recognizing that students come from unique and complex backgrounds is essential for effective communication and support.
3. Reframing negative mindsets: Helping students reframe negative thoughts into positive beliefs about their abilities is important for their academic success and self-confidence.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I strongly believe that some of the most important skills are knowing how to be an active listener. Many times, students come to me with concerns and issues they think are outside the college journey. They might not be ready to talk to anyone else, but they decide to share these things with me.
For me, it's definitely knowing how to actively listen. This means knowing when to jump in and when to stay silent. This approach has served me very well.
Sometimes, students just need someone to listen; they aren't looking for advice or answers. Just having someone hear them out has been extremely helpful.
Another key skill is being understanding of their different perspectives and backgrounds. I know that not everyone has the same story. While we might share similar experiences, each person comes from a unique and complex family background.
It's important to be understanding and actively listen. We also need to be self-aware of how we share our own thoughts and advice. For example, students often tell me they aren't doing well in a course.
Instead of just agreeing with their negative self-talk, I try to reframe it. Many students come from a deficit mindset, thinking, "I've always been bad at math; I'll never be good." My role is to help them see things more positively so they start to believe in themselves and their ability to pass the class.
Reframing negative aspects of conversations into positive ones has been a significant part of my job as a retention specialist. My goal is to help students believe in themselves, especially if they don't already. These three skills have been extremely important when working with students.
On a professional level, knowing how not to take things personally has been huge for me. Students often come to me with serious concerns, whether it's about an accident, financial struggles, or family issues.
It's crucial to handle these situations within the scope of my job and not let them affect me personally. While it can be emotionally taxing, not taking things personally, actively listening, being understanding, and reframing negative situations into positive ones are vital.