LEAPING INTO LEADERSHIP

Sometimes taking a chance leads to even more than you originally expected.

Sometimes taking a chance leads to even more than you originally expected.

That was the case for Sydney E. Robinson ’19, the diversity and inclusion program manager for the CSB and SJU Multicultural Center, who was recently appointed the Minnesota State Coordinator in Region IV-E of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

That was surprising, since Robinson had originally applied for the graduate student and new professionals liaison role. But the region leadership felt she was qualified for even more responsibility.

“Dr. Lamar (Hylton), who is the incoming regional director, called me and said that they thought my skillset could be elevated to a different position,” said Robinson, a Las Vegas native who returned to Saint Ben’s two years ago to take over her current position in which she focuses on women’s leadership, peer-to-peer mentoring and diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) initiatives.

It helps that Robinson knows NASPA well. Last year, she was selected for a spot in NASPA’s NOW Professionals 2022 cohort, which recognizes exceptional contributions from new professionals and graduate students within the organization.

And this winter, she was chosen to attend the organization’s Alice Manicur Symposium, held Jan. 25-28, in Portland, Oregon. The symposium is designed for student affairs professionals who identify as women or outside the gender binary, and who are at the middle management level and considering moving into a vice presidential or more senior role.

“I kind of applied on a whim because I’m technically not mid-level and I haven’t completed my master’s degree just yet,” said Robinson, who is in her final semester before completing a master’s degree in higher education administration at St. Cloud State University.

“But it’s specifically meant to develop women and people outside the gender binary to be prepared to take on those kinds of roles.

We got to go through different sessions on topics like taking up space, leading as a whole leader and how to advocate for women, femmes and nonbinary people. It was really enriching as a professional development experience.”

Robinson said she returned to CSB and SJU even more passionate about her work.

“I think it left me with a lot of confidence as a Black woman taking up space and working in these kinds of predominately male environments,” she said. “It really reinvigorated my love for this. It showed me I’m doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place.

“I was surrounded by a lot of women who were either in their doctoral dissertation process or already had their doctorate. I was the youngest by far – and having not completed my master’s degree – so many of them were encouraging me to get my doctorate and stay connected with them. So it was really nice to be in community with other women of color and being uplifted by Black women specifically.”