As I “grew up” in higher education, I always heard of the mythical land of Jesuit higher education. I have had colleagues that have passed through those lands and extoled the virtues found within the confines. On one hand, I found myself ribbing those individuals as they all, to a tee, sang the same tune and to me it seemed a bit cultish. On the other hand, I found myself intrigued by what it might be like working at a Jesuit institution given how many of the themes resonated with me on multiple levels.
As I continued to progress in my career I realized that my leadership style was rooted in service to others. I have always said that I am not student centered, I am staff centered. I know that if my staff is the ones directly impacting the student experience and if I can be in service to them then we are best suited to support the students we serve. As I approached the idea of working at a Jesuit institution the value of women and men for and with others started to come into refinement. You mean to tell me I could work at an institution where my leadership style is not only recognized but also supported and valued.
Whenever I have taken the StrenthsFinder, Maximizer will always be very high in my top Strengths. I have always been the type of individual who sought to take things from good to great. I would drive myself, and my teams, to realize that there could always be more. As I was researching the work I’d be doing at a Jesuit institution I started hearing about this word, Magis. I realized that I had always been striving for the more. I knew it was unattainable, but to me that was the beauty of the work that we do. We’ll never be whole or complete, but if we keep striving for the more we are a truly thriving.
Those that know me know that I work to meet every person at their individual level. I pride myself on being able to adjust and adapt to who I am working with. Code switching, to me, is something that is crucial and important. Whether it is working with a student or a staff member, a faculty member or a parent, all are coming from a different place and that should be considered as we approach that interaction. I try to make those that I work with feel like they are the only person that matters. I was told of the value of Cura Personalis and I couldn’t help but think that this was something I had been doing all along. Other institutions I’ve been at were a bit more focused on the whole and service to the lowest common denominator. I couldn’t operate in that framework and would attempt to meet each individual’s need whenever possible.
The last thing that I have found to be the blessing I needed in this transition was the able to stop and reflect. Personal wellness and balance are vital to my success and a part of that includes reflecting on what has been done to drive what needs to be done. I came to learn about discernment and the role it plays in guiding the work that we do. At other institutions the value of reflection was often talked about but nothing within the structure or systems supported this. When I got to my current institution, one rooted in Jesuit values, I see this approach to reflection and discernment not only valued but modeled at all levels.
I am now seven months into my experience working at a Jesuit institution. I took the job because many of the values, many I learned along the search process, were things that naturally resonated with me. Now that I am nearing “veteran” status I can say that I made the right choice. The Jesuit values are ones that resonate with me and strike the tuning fork in my soul in just the right way. I can be a better professional and person and in that I can be a better leader for my department and better serve the students I have the privilege to serve.
Torry Brouillard-Bruce is the Senior Director for Student Housing and Residential Education (SHaRE) at University of San Francisco, starting his service in Jesuit Higher Education in March 2017. Prior to serving at USF, Torry has worked professionally at University of the Pacific, University of Arizona, and Montana State University. Starting in January, Torry will be serving as the Regional Affiliations Director on the executive board of the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I). Torry is originally from the great state of Washington and in his spare time loves rooting on his Seahawks, golfing, traveling with his wife, and playing dad to his one year old son Jonas.