In the newest episode of Student Affairs Voices from the Field, listeners are invited into a candid and inspiring conversation with Dr. Jessica Nathan Brown and Dae’lyn Do, the current Co-Chairs of NASPA’s Women in Student Affairs Knowledge Community (WISA KC). Hosted by Dr. Jill Creighton, this episode delves deep into what makes student affairs such a meaningful field, particularly through the lens of women’s leadership, mentorship, and wellbeing.

Jessica and Dae’lyn bring a wealth of experience to their roles—Jessica as Director of Student Leadership and Engagement at Alabama A&M University, and Dae’lyn as Associate Director for the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program at the University of Michigan. Both share personal journeys into student affairs, marked by transformative mentorship and a dedication to empowering students from all backgrounds.

One of the episode’s main themes centers on WISA KC’s current focus, encapsulated by the acronym GLOW: Growth, Legacy, Openness, and Wellbeing. As Jessica explains, “We are trying to grow as professionals, leave legacies while honoring those before us, share our authentic stories, and prioritize wellbeing.” The discussion highlights that supporting the whole student—academically, personally, and emotionally—is at the heart of student affairs, and staff need to care for themselves to sustain this important work.

Dae’lyn reflects on how student affairs practitioners understand the field’s value through direct impact in students’ lives, but emphasizes that telling these stories to those outside the field remains a crucial ongoing challenge. She also underscores the importance of wellbeing, especially for women who often take on the nurturing roles on campus.

The episode doesn’t shy away from real-world issues: Jessica shares insights from her dissertation on burnout and turnover among entry-level staff, noting compensation and workload as key factors. Both leaders discuss strategies for supervisors to support early-career professionals, stressing flexibility, recognition, and creative ways to foster growth.

Listeners will find examples of impactful mentorship, stories of overcoming imposter syndrome, and actionable advice for supervisors and colleagues. If you’re interested in connecting with WISA KC, Dae’lyn and Jessica recommend subscribing to their newsletter, joining their LinkedIn group, and exploring volunteer opportunities.

Tune in for practical wisdom, personal stories, and a refreshing focus on wellbeing and authentic leadership in student affairs—this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration and community within higher education.

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:02 ]:
Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts brought to you by naspa. We curate free and accessible professional development for higher ed pros wherever you happen to be. This is season 13 on the value of student affairs. I'm Dr. Jill Creighton. She her hers your SA voices from the Field host. Welcome back to our next episode of SA Voices from the Field. Today we're featuring our NASPA Co-Chairs of the WISA KC Dr.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:34 ]:
Jessica Nathan Brown, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, serves as the Director of Student Leadership and Engagement at Alabama A and M University where she works to enhance student engagement and foster a sense of belonging on campus. In her role, she provides oversight for major campus events, Greek Life, Student Government, Student Publications, University Royalty Student Organizations, International Student Support, Parent and Family Engagement, First Generation Student Initiatives, Freshman Student Transitions, and Welcome Programming and Leadership Development Initiatives. She brings nearly a decade of experience in student activities along with prior experience in residence life. Dr. Brown earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Stillman College, her Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of South Alabama, and her Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. Professionally, Dr. Brown has been an active leader within NASPA, serving four years on the NASPA Alabama Board of Directors as Secretary Treasurer, and four years as professional Development Co Chair for the Women in Student affairs, or WISA Knowledge Community. She now serves as the WISA Co chair for the 2025 through 2027 term and previously held a leadership role within NACA South.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:39 ]:
She currently resides in Decatur, Alabama with her husband Brandon and their son Brandon Jr. Our second guest is DA Lynn Doe. She her Dalen serves as the Associate Director for the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program at the University of Michigan. Originally from Oklahoma, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Public Relations and Advertising from Northeastern State University and her Master's degree in College Stud from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Having served on the WISA Casey Leadership Team for almost six years, her involvement with this community has been an instrumental part of her journey in student affairs. She's also been an active member of NASPA since early in her undergrad career, including being part of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program or the NUPF Program and the NASPA Graduate Associate Program or the GAP Program, and serving in a variety of other NASPA volunteer roles. Dalen's experience as a first generation low income college student is what led her to student affairs work. She feels a deep sense of purpose in the field and her goal is to empower students, support them on their journeys toward receiving a higher education, and open doors for them to experience the impact of a college education in the same way that she did.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:43 ]:
Dalen believes in values driven leadership and brings her personal values of integrity, intentionality, authenticity, appreciation and growth to her work with students. Dalen currently lives in Bowling Green, Ohio with her partner and their three pugs. Outside of work, she enjoys playing board games, traveling, spending time outside, and eating good food. Welcome to season 13 of SA Voices here with Jessica.

Dr. Jessica Nathan Brown [00:03:06 ]:
Hi everyone.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:07 ]:
And Dalen.

Dae'lyn Do [00:03:08 ]:
Hello.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:09 ]:
And you two are the current Co Chairs of the Women in Student Affairs Knowledge Community for naspa, which is one of the largest knowledge communities in all of naspa. It's an incredible job that you are both doing. I totally understand why this KC needs co chairs. It's WISA for short. It's got a huge internal board. It is super, super active with everything from events to publications and beyond. So looking forward to talking to you all about what the work is in wisa. But before we get there, we're going to start with your day jobs a little bit and we always like to get to know our guests by asking how did you get to your current seat? And we'll start with you, Jessica.

Dr. Jessica Nathan Brown [00:03:47 ]:
So my current seat, I am currently the Director of Student Leadership and Engagement at Alabama A and M University. I have been here since 2023 and how I got here I started in student affairs, really undergraduate originally my major was psychology. Wanted to be a therapist and was super involved and so learned that this was a field. So I then went to do my Master's in higher education with a GA in residence life. And then I worked at UAB for 7 years in student activities, hence leading me to now this role in Huntsville.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:04:19 ]:
Excellent. What's your dissertation title?

Dr. Jessica Nathan Brown [00:04:22 ]:
Okay, try to say the actual it's not going to be exact because I don't have to say it often, but essentially I did did my research on burnout in student affairs at the entry level for entry level staff and what were the causes for staff turnover.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:04:37 ]:
That is an incredible piece of research that we desperately need right now because we know that the field and the dynamics of how we enter the field are changing. So we're definitely going to come back to that. But let's get to know Dalen a little bit as well. Dalen, how did you get to your current seat?

Dae'lyn Do [00:04:50 ]:
Yes, I love this question. I have a pretty similar story to I guess a lot of folks in higher ed and student affairs. I of course didn't know what this was before entering college, but I came into my undergrad at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma as a first generation low income student who originally thought she was going to become a journalist for the National Geographic. I wanted to travel the world and take pictures of animals. But as I was kind of going through my college journey and realizing the impact that higher education was having on my life and why it was having that impact, it kept coming back to the people and the mentors who were supporting me. And so really I kind of learned early on in my undergrad career that I wanted to do this. And so I started getting involved with NA