IT TAKES A VILLAGE: The Power of Mentorship for Emerging Student Affairs Professionals of Color
Includes a Live Web Event on 04/11/2025 at 2:30 PM (EDT)
"It Takes a Village to Raise a Child," an African proverb, emphasizes the role of community in nurturing individuals. For new student affairs professionals, especially those of color, the first three years post-graduation are critical for professional identity development. Navigating racial challenges makes supportive mentors essential. These mentors offer guidance, insight, and affirmation, helping New Professionals grow and thrive in their careers by embodying their desired professional persona.
Learning Outcomes
1. Recognize the cultural and historical significance of the proverb "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child" and its relevance to their roles in student affairs
2. Identify the crucial role of mentorship in their early careers and understand how it shapes their personal and professional development
3. Integrate their understanding of mentorship dynamics and community-building into personalized plans for professional growth
Dashan Axson-Lawrence
Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Services
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Dashan (he/him/his) joined Multicultural Student Services in June 2023 as an Assistant Director. He is also an Adjunct Faculty Member in the School of Education and Human Development – Higher Education Department. Previously, Dashan worked as an Athletic Academic Coordinator (2019–2023), supporting various athletic teams and advising UVA Athletics Affinity Groups: Black Student-Athletes and LGBTQ+ and Ally student-athletes. Prior to UVA, he held a similar role at Duke University, where he assisted at-risk student-athletes in football and Olympic sports. He coordinated study halls, managed tutors and mentors, and supervised social media for the athletic academic department. Before Duke, Dashan worked at the University of Georgia as a residence hall director, advisor, and mentor/tutor with the athletic department. He is a proud graduate of South Carolina State University, where he earned a degree in English (2012). Dashan also holds two master's degrees: one in education with a focus on counseling and student affairs from the University of West Georgia (2014) and another in sports management and policy from the University of Georgia (2018). In Fall 2024, he completed his Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Higher Education from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. As Assistant Director, Dashan oversees student success initiatives, including academic and personal development, develops intercultural engagement opportunities, and manages the operations of the Multicultural Student Center.
Continuing Education Credits
CSAED
This session counts for 1.0 CSAEd-CORE credit or Social Justice and Inclusion (SJI) continuing education.
NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program.
Guidelines for earning CE credit:
No partial credit will be rewarded.
Participants must also complete the feedback survey in the Online Learning Community.
1 Credit is available for attending the live session or viewing the on-demand recording.
To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the feedback survey that offers the certification in each session. Once you have attended all the live sessions or watched the on-demand sessions for which you would like to request credit, visit the Continuing Education (CE) website to fill out the Student Affairs Education Certification Request Form for all the sessions. All certificants must fill out one for the live session and a separate one for the on-demand sessions. Visit the Continued Education (CE) website to learn more regarding deadlines and receive your certificate of completion for the Virtual Conference.
NBCC
This session counts for 1 NBCC credit
NASPA has been approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider for live events.
Participants can receive a maximum of 13 clock hours for attending live sessions at this event. All eligible sessions are identified in the “Credit Information” tab at the top of the individual sessions. To receive credit, please complete the “Feedback Survey” found within each individual session under the “Continuing Education” section. Once the feedback surveys for all attended sessions are complete, complete this request form; a certificate documenting the number of hours of live sessions you attended will be emailed to you within two weeks of you submitting the form.
The deadline to request NBCC continuing education certificates for this event is May 12, 2025. For questions regarding continuing education, please email continuingeducation@naspa.org