Biggest Challenges of a Director of Programs at Minds Matter Southern California
Shalin's biggest challenge as Director of Programs is keeping up with the rapid changes in education, citing examples like the revised FAFSA and the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision, and adapting Minds Matter Southern California's programming to meet students' evolving needs in a post-pandemic world; this requires understanding the "stressful" environment impacting today's youth, a generation facing challenges unlike any before.
Education, Higher Education Policy, Nonprofit Management, Program Management, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shalin Craig
Director of Programs
Minds Matter Southern California
University of California, Berkeley, 2015
N/A
Ethnic & Related Studies
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The rapid pace of change in education, including updates to financial aid processes (FAFSA), evolving college admissions requirements (SAT), and Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action, presents ongoing challenges.
2. The need to adapt programming to meet the evolving needs of students in the context of these changes is crucial.
3. Understanding the impact of recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and educational landscape is vital for supporting students effectively.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping up with all of the changes that are happening. Obviously, I work in education, and there is a ton of change occurring there.
Things like the FAFSA being redone this year, or schools no longer requiring the SAT, are happening. We also have the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, and all of that impacts college admissions.
It also impacts the attitudes students have going into that process. So you have all of that, and then in the rest of the world, there are also a million other things going on.
Especially for a young person, going through all of that as a young person can be really stressful. We're just now getting back to some sense of normalcy after the Covid pandemic.
That pandemic impacted education, but also the social environment young people are growing up in. I was a young person once, but I wasn't going through everything they're going through today.
So, it's about trying to keep up with that and ensure our programming is responsive to what students need and what's going on in the world.