Achilles' Arrow

a place for my thoughts. my arrows.

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Miss being around all the women of my family for the holidays. I never want for anything when they're around. Family is medicine.

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AFA Annual Meeting - My Reflections

So I've taken the time necessary to recover from the marathon that is the AFA Annual Meeting. This is my way of reflecting on this experience and what it means to me. Big Ten Conference - Greek Directors' Meeting I chose the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for my masters program because of the amazing opportunities it would afford me at the institution. Little did I know that joining UNL would also offer me the opportunity to connect across the entirety of the Big Ten Conference. Sitting in a room with the individuals responsible for such a huge population within the conference was amazing. Listening to the initiatives that are being implemented across the conference was great and provided some insight regarding how we might affect change here at UNL. Learning about the challenges associated with developing our communities in the midst of more entrenched and pervasive issues was invaluable. Some highlights for me include the work being done at the Ohio State University. That team is amazing and I'm awe inspired by their work and passion. Being able to dialogue across this community has made me a better professional and I cannot wait to put some of what I've learned into practice. Presentations There were SO many presentations at this conference that I wanted to attend but I could only choose a few. While there were nine educational blocks, I was presenting for two of them and had the NALFO business meeting on Friday. The presentations I did attend were truly awesome. - I learned about Title IX and how to approach this policy from a lens of "affecting change" rather than a "burden." I'm looking forward to informing the dialogue within the Office of Greek Affairs at UNL and implementing some key pieces within my fraternity. - Kenny Jones gave me just the right dose of reinvigoration I needed to come back to work on my Thesis. I was awe inspired by his research, every bit of it. The contributions he's making to literature about the experiences of students' intersectionality (gay, Black, fraternity member, etc.) is exactly what I hope to accomplish in my thesis (gay/bisexual, Latino, fraternity member, etc). - I had the opportunity to present twice. My first presentation was with my peers within NALFO on how best to advise our membership. It means the world to me to serve the Latino fraternal community in this way. Our students are amazing leaders and they need to be met by competent and amazing advisors. I will continue to commit myself to NALFO serving as the voice of the Latino Greek movement. My second presentation is more personal. I was invited to present alongside my mentor, Juan Guardia, and a good friend, Nathan Olmeda. These men are phenomenal professionals and great role models. Speaking to our experiences as Gay Latino Fraternity Men was empowering. I was able to dig deep into parts of my experience I'd tucked away for quite some time. I was fortunate and humbled to present alongside them both. Professional Networking National conferences can be overwhelming socially. Even extroverts like myself can feel as though the world is spinning out of control but that's not what this AFA felt like. I think the reason it felt different was because of how affirming the environment already was. There was the recharge that came from reconnecting with colleagues I hadn't seen since our last Annual Meeting. The offers to assist me in the job search was so encouraging, I cannot say I'm not anxious but I feel so much better knowing how many people are in my corner. The "chapter meeting" was a ground breaking event with so much to offer. I am so happy to have had these experiences at AFA. Personal Growth Life doesn't stop when we're at these conferences and that became apparent very quickly. There were highs and there were lows. I'm choosing to see them all as progress. From the heartfelt one-on-ones with mentors (new and old) to the relationships that I am navigating with peers/friends in the field, I'm so grateful. I've come back to Nebraska with a renewed sense of self and you can't ask for much more than that. NALFO & the Latino Fraternal Movement Transformative & Productive. Those two words sum it up. I'm so proud of NALFO for what it has done and continues to do for the Latino fraternal community. Our business meeting on Friday was the best example of Latino Greek Unity I'd seen in quite some time. This next year will be just that: transformative and productive. We will continue our commitment to community as that is the only option that exists. Now it's time to wrap up my second to last semester of graduate school and head back to NYC for the holidays. I'm excited about continuing my work while also reconnecting with my base of support: my family. Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I don't know when I'll post next but I'll be sure to share out when I do. Follow Your Arrow...

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Supporting The Coffee House for #SmallBizSat #ShopSmall. Check out one of Lincoln's gems. #UNL #SAGrad #ThesisOrBust (at The Coffee House)

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#besomebody

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Unfinished