BY DANIELLE LEGARE

Kingsley Arthur, Jayda Holmes, Phoenix McClinton and Sunettee Sharpe—all students in GSE’s higher education and student affairs master’s program—earned top recognition in the Esther Lloyd-Jones (ELJ) Case Study Competition at the College Student Personnel Association of New York State (CSPA-NYS) 2024 Annual Conference.

Held in October 2024 at the Rochester Institute of Technology Inn and Conference Center, the competition tested their ability to apply student affairs theory to complex and real-world scenarios.

Their approach to this issue and thoughtful solution stood above the rest.

Teams of graduate students and new professionals were given just 20 hours to devise a solution to a simulated student conduct incident and present it to a panel of judges, including the CSPA-NYS president.

This year's case centered on a sensitive situation: a student-athlete at a mid-sized, private institution had vandalized a menorah and Christmas decorations, prompting concerns of religious discrimination and community outrage.

The ELJ competition judges evaluate presentations based on creativity, use of theory, practical applications and clarity.

“We had to come together. How are we going to solve this issue? How are we going to handle the media? How are we going to handle Student Conduct? How are we going to handle the parents? And we still have to keep in mind their FERPA laws and all of the other policies,” said Sharpe.

“All four of us are in residential life. We had to bring in our training and policies, and we also incorporated things we learned from class,” she continued. “If you want to be in higher education and student affairs, you have to understand the importance of teamwork.”

Megan Iantosca, associate professor of educational leadership and policy and a faculty member in the program, commends the students for their achievement. “We are so proud of our students and their accomplishment,” she said. “This is particularly impressive for a group of first-year students. We have no doubt they will achieve great things in the future.”

According to Holmes, the experience was as rewarding as it was intense.

“‘Let’s see what we can do’—that was the mindset that made it fun,” said Holmes. “It was interesting working together and seeing where all our minds were. But also, putting it in a real-world sense, you have to work with multiple departments, and you have to talk with a bunch of different people to figure out the right sanction. And there are going to be people who disagree.”

“Right now, we're in school, but this is preparing us for when we're out there, interacting with people and impacting lives,” Holmes added. “Future success depends on us.”

Arthur agrees and feels optimistic about the future: “Looking at the ideas we shared and how prepared we were—it really showed me we’re ready for the task ahead.”

For the team, the professional experience was far more meaningful than a prize or certificate.

“We weren’t doing it to win; we really enjoyed it,” Sharpe said.