
If we approach our work with a student-centered approach, you should note that this is when receiving support, as a professional is most beneficial. Providing support to students should be as important as receiving support from colleagues, work place, community, etc. As professionals of color, we are constantly navigating what it means to be a professional in a black and white America; thus, understanding that we need support to do this work is the first step. When we are drained, we are left with a void of support, love, and self-appreciation. We need that void to be refueled through a supportive community of professionals that promote self-care and appreciate of self and each other.
With the current state of this nation, having Betsy Devos as the Secretary of Education, it is important to critically analyze how are professionals being supported in their roles while supporting students in this education system. This is where some may say that internships and assistantships prepare you to step into a full-time role. I would like to say that it gives you a taste of balancing multiple responsibilities, but not truly the full experience. Transitioning from being a student to being a resource to students is very different. Thus, we should invest time in staff development retreats; conferences, mentoring, partnering of organizations that support our work, etc. to receive support from multiple avenues while supporting our students. Finding a community that empowers you as a human and that understands your work is extremely important because these are the same groups that will advocate for you in spaces where you cannot.
