Dottans & NAFSA – Service to the Profession

Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta

I feel fortunate for having begun in international education when I did. As I look back, it seems that I entered at a time well after the leadership of the field’s early pioneers, but those to whom I looked up had been trained by those pioneers. Except for perhaps SIETAR, about the only game in town for professional development was with NAFSA, which at that point stood for the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs. The number of organizations has expanded, but THE international education organization remains NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Terra Dotta found its first audience at the NAFSA Annual Conference in San Antonio in 2002. Two years later, that same small organization – then known at StudioAbroad – began an ongoing relationship with NAFSA in the annual EXPO Hall. To this day, Terra Dotta holds the international education professional organizations in high regard, as it does the experience of those professionals within the field. Last year, our Terra Dotta family represented over 175 years of years of service at more than 20 universities and study abroad organizations. Since then, we have added more staff, bringing our total years closer to two centuries of service – in an organization that celebrated its 15th anniversary a few months ago.

In addition to that appreciation of service, is an appreciation of service back to the profession. Whether before or after hire, Terra Dotta recognizes that we all benefit when members of our family give back to organizations such as NAFSA. One of our newest “Dottans” is a shining example. Robert Riggs recently joined Terra Dotta from Washington State University where he was SEVIS Coordinator and PDSO for over 12 years.

Like many of us, Robert benefited from mentorship of a colleague who tapped Robert to help with regional workshops. That experience led him to NAFSA’s Trainer Corps 10 years ago for training and recognition as a trainer for CEP regulatory and advising workshops at both the regional and national levels. He has even been the Dean for the CEP workshop “Strategies in International Student and Scholar Advising.” Once bitten, Robert went on to serve NAFSA’s Region I team, first as KCISSS Representative and later as part of the Region I Chair Stream, serving as Chair in 2016.

Regional service has hooked more than one Dottan. Adam Breen, Business Development Specialist, got his start in NAFSA service back in 2008. At that time he served on the Region II Nominations Committee and as the Exhibitor & Sponsor Chair for the regional conference. Adam continues to serve in the latter role, even having played the same role for Region XII this past year. In the past decade, he has also served a two-year term as regional representative to the Tech MIG (Member Interest Group). For Adam, NAFSA service has added importance as it led him to his current job. As Adam puts it, “The first time I met Brandon [Lee, Terra Dotta CEO] was when he sponsored the Region II opening reception at the conference in Albuquerque. Now I work for him!”

Travis Ulrich, ISSS Product Manager, is yet another Dottan who found his initial niche in regional service. Ten years ago, Travis started out as Information Technology Liaison for the Wisconsin Association of International Educators (WAIE). A year later he was asked to serve in the WAIE Chair stream which led to him becoming Wisconsin State Representative on the Region V Team, his first formal NAFSA role. During the same period, he joined Trainer Corps and eventually served as curriculum lead for the F-1 E-learning Pilot Course. That foundation led Travis to eventually leading the Region V Team as Chair, but also positioned him for positions at the national level. In 2014, Travis was appointed a member of the NAFSA Leadership Development Committee and now serves as the Regional Affairs Committee Coordinator. As Travis puts it, “volunteering for NAFSA has helped me build skills and connect to other professionals in the field.”

I, myself, like to attribute the start of my NAFSA professional development to the regional level. Having just moved into Region X, I volunteered my office to help with local arrangements for the following year’s conference since it would held in our area. That mere act of raising my hand led to becoming newsletter editor, then regional chair. That position led to opportunities at the national level for both appointed and elected positions. Being chair of an annual conference (2002) and chair of the EAKC both opened doors to work alongside professionals dedicated to advancing the field. Training with NAFSA’s Management Development Program afforded the opportunity to teach alongside leaders I considered icons of the field like Gary Althen and Kay Thomas.

Terra Dotta’s depth of involvement, however, is not limited to the regions. When we decided to offer a solution for international student and scholar offices, finding staff with knowledge of both international office workings and federal regulations became an imperative. Finding staff with those knowledge bases and leadership experience have only helped with reaching a growing clientele.

Monica Sharp joined Terra Dotta in 2009 from the University of Oklahoma where she had been Director of International Students and Scholars. During that same time she, like Robert, was serving as her Region’s liaison to the KCISSS team, and then on the taskforce to update the NAFSA Statement of Ethical Principles. As Monica puts it, “my name started to be circulated around as someone who would like to make extra time to work for the greater good and advancement of ISSS offices and our colleagues. People got in touch and before I knew it I was working with a national taskforce.”

Since joining Terra Dotta, Monica has added to her NAFSA leadership roles, all the while providing her insight and expertise to the development of Terra Dotta’s SEVIS EASY. Her roles have included, in addition to being Region III KCISSS Liaison: national SIM (Subcommittee for Information Management) representative to the KCISSS team, member of the ISS-Regulatory Practice International Student Subcommittee, and current co-chairship of the Global Nomads/Third Country Kids MIG.

Some of us, though, have shared our expertise in more general professional development. Jennifer Flannery, another of Terra Dotta’s Business Development Specialists, started by presenting sessions at NAFSA conferences. That put her on the radar of the regional leadership who suggested she consider becoming a NAFSA Academy Coach. Jen enjoys this more generalist position as participants are “in all areas of international education, which is a better fit for my background. It just ‘clicked.’…. I’ve met people with great experience in the field, who are teaching me and challenging me to be better.” Jen is continuing to expand her leadership role by additionally participating in Trainer Corps training, and anticipates being inducted into the Corps at this month’s conference.

How does all of this professional involvement benefit Terra Dotta clients? First, Terra Dotta leadership recognizes the value of contributing to one’s profession. In an email to clients last December, CEO Lee stated, “Our history is in international education, and so is our future.” Encouraging an actively involved team supports the future by helping to move the field forward.

Service to the profession also keeps staff current with the direction of the field, which contributes to Terra Dotta providing leading edge goods and services. It is important for us know how we, and our products, can best serve your office and institutional needs. What better way than by working alongside our clients in the advancement of international education. We Dottans who have come from “the industry” (and remember, there are many of us who have) do not leave that stage of our professional lives behind; instead we continue to build upon it, learning, teaching and mentoring as we go. International education “is our future,” too.

With all this experience, there are bound to be words of wisdom. The field of international education continues to evolve, and has changed dramatically since some of us first started out. That said, certain themes emerge on the value of professional involvement as well as how to become involved. Here are a few ideas garnered from the Dottans already mentioned:

Professional development is a journey; not an end. Regardless the number of years, each opportunity is an opportunity to learn.
Start at the regional level; see if your regional team needs volunteers for the conference or other items. Get to know people on your regional team and learn about what the regional needs are for upcoming position openings.
Start out small, throw your hat in the ring as a volunteer. NAFSA is always looking for extra hands and brains. Get in touch with your regional network and put your name on the list for when requests circulate for committee members.
Go find the highest-ranking person you can and ask them to give you something to do! Adam got started by approaching his region’s chair and saying, "I'm new to this field and I'd like to get involved."
Just being a member or attending events is never going to expand you the same way volunteering will. If you want to be challenged, want closer connections, and to learn, you need to get involved.
Involvement is not just for those with years of experience; most people have more to offer than they realize.

International education may well be more of a calling than a profession. Few of us work a standard 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday schedule; and we thrive on it. We live our lives balancing attention to local affairs with events happening around the world. We speak of distant places with the same familiarity that we speak of our own locale, because both are within our sphere of reference.

For almost 70 years, NAFSA has been an organization where we encounter like-minded professionals. It, and organizations that have come after it, serve as centers for learning, sharing, networking, developing professionally and yes, the occasional commiseration. As a member organization, NAFSA’s strength has been its members who give of their time and expertise to advance the organization, and thereby advancing the profession. My fellow involved Dottans were asked what NAFSA has meant to them. They responded:

[NAFSA has] been a career engine, as well as a source of support…. I wouldn't be where I am today without it, and I'm grateful for that.
NAFSA is a wonderful community of people who are passionate about helping others, promoting intercultural understanding, and through international education making the world a better place for us all. I can't imagine how hard it would have been for me without NAFSA and fellow NAFSAns as my guiding light.
Each [NAFSA] position has been both challenging and rewarding in its own way. I very much enjoy the opportunity to connect and collaborate with new member leaders in each role.

I talk to friends who work in different fields, and I don't think any of them have a professional association with the amount and quality of events and connections I've received through NAFSA…...NAFSA provides a bigger, global story to which I am connected. It has been the one consistent presence during my years in the field; a source of friends, fun, growth, significance and community.

We at Terra Dotta look forward to the continued synergy between our organization and organizations like NAFSA. Part of our strength finds its roots in the service of Dottans to the profession. As Jen put it, “international education exists today because people invested their time and talent into helping others and helping the field. If you want to build the field for the future, you need to get involved. I promise you won't regret it!” Should you find yourself in LA at NAFSA later this month, stop by booth #1603 and talk with us about our experiences and how you can make our profession better.