Personal and Ethical Foundations

I have learned in my practice that the Personal and Ethical Foundations competency is essential for understanding my strengths and areas of growth as a professional. It is important to know how my values, beliefs, and experiences shape the work that I do. I reflect often on how my work is impacted by my values, beliefs, and experiences and how I can use those to provide unique support to the students I work with. The following sections show evidence of the skills I have gained that align with the PEF competencies.

Foundational Competency Outcome	Experience to help meet the outcome
Analyze personal experiences for potential deeper learning and growth, and engage with others in reflective discussions.	Throughout the academic year I reflected on areas of growth within my personal self, my work style, and my communication with others.
Define excellence for oneself and evaluate how one’s sense of excellence impacts self and others.	At the beginning of my assistantship, I had set goals for myself to accomplish throughout the academic year. I tried to exceed the goals to achieve excellence within my work to positively impact myself and those I work with.
Seek environments and collaborations that provide adequate challenge such that personal development is promoted and provide sufficient support such that development is possible.	I take on new opportunities, like leading the Student Organization Awards Ceremony, that will challenge me. I work closely with my supervisor to ensure I have the proper tools to succeed.
Identify positive and negative impacts on wellness and, as appropriate, seek assistance from available resources.	I regularly reflect on my workload and well-being, and when I noticed I was consistently working beyond my assigned hours, I communicated with my team to adjust my responsibilities.
Identify the challenges associated with balancing personal and professional responsibilities and recognize the intersection of one’s personal and professional life.	Working towards a master’s degree while holding a graduate assistantship position and handling personal responsibilities proves to be challenging at times. I recognize how my personal and professional life impacts one another and have strategies with I have concerns with either area of life.
Articulate key elements of one’s set of personal beliefs and commitments (e.g., values, morals, goals, desires, self-definitions), as well as the source of each (e.g., self, peers, family, or one or more larger community).	I identify key aspects of my personal beliefs and commitments to both my professional and personal life. From each belief I have a support system that drives me to better myself and uphold my morals.
Articulate awareness and understanding of one’s attitudes, values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and identity how they affect one’s integrity and work with others	I recognize that each person’s experiences shape their values and perspectives, and I reflect on how my own background influences my interactions with students.