Monday, 4 August 2014 - 10:13am
I have been a member of ACPA on and off (mostly on!) since 1990. Before that, I gravitated toward associations more closely aligned with my focus area in student affairs. But I felt I was missing a broader perspective and exposure to more comprehensive professional development opportunities. I found that in ACPA. I found it even more in my state division, CSPA New York State.
If it wasn't for CSPA and the power of being “tapped,” I might not be as engaged in ACPA as I am now. A few years ago, I was close to taking a break from ACPA and CSPA. I was not sure there was a place for me. Then someone approached me at a conference and encouraged me to run for CSPA President. I’d spent 27 years helping new students feel welcome in a new environment, and here I was unsure where I fit in, but then being approached and supported. The power of a tap!
Two years later, I find myself enriched with new friendships and relationships I didn't even imagine. And one year from now I will be starting a new position that I’m certain ACPA and CSPA helped me secure. There are so many opportunities within ACPA for new voices, new faces, new perspectives. ACPA has a place for you.
Eileen Merberg
Interim Director of Student Life
SUNY Buffalo State
@enmerberg