Geoff Roberts

Welcome to my professional competency portfolio!  My name is Geoff Roberts and I am a soon-to-be graduate of the College Student Personnel Master of Arts program at Bowling Green State University.  I am from a small farming community in the "Thumb" of Michigan about two hours north of Detroit via Interstate 94.  Growing up in the area, I developed a love for both the city of Detroit (featured as my background on this page) and Southeast Michigan as a whole.  Now as I face graduation, I hope to acquire a position at an institution of higher education in Southeast Michigan that can help to directly affect student lives for the better by cultivating our next generation of leaders. 

Several of my life experiences contributed to my desire to enter higher education and student affairs.  I began my educational journey back in 2005 after graduating from Croswell-Lexington High School in Croswell, Michigan, my home town.  I went to St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Michigan for three semesters before experiencing the strong desire to serve in the United States Army.  I entered the Army in January of 2007 where I advanced through Basic Training, Job Training, and Airborne School prior to reporting to my unit. 

As a cavalry scout with the 82nd Airborne Division, I deployed twice to Iraq, once in 2007 and again in 2009.  My two deployments were crucial learning experiences for me.  I learned a lot about myself, my fellow soldiers, and foreign cultures different from those of the United States.  These experiences were extremely transformative for me as a person.

Upon completion of my four years in the military, I enrolled a few months later at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) to finish what I began in 2005.  The transition assistance that I received as well as my undergraduate student assistant position in the Veterans Affairs Certifying Office created a desire for me to go into student affairs and assist other Veteran students making the same transition.  

Now, as I get set to graduate and move into a full-time position in student affairs, I feel prepared to positively influence and affect nontraditional student lives across higher education.  This electronic portfolio serves as a documentation of the body of work that I have built over the past two years as a graduate student at BGSU.