Speaker: Monica Stansberry
What inspired you to become part of SAAEF?
Monica Stansberry: What inspired me to become a part of SAAEF is that I wanted to learn to exercise my voice in more of a collective impactful way for the greater good of all of our adult learners. I also wanted to understand how advocacy materializes. At the national level, whether it is alongside or beyond the politics that we always see a lot of the times, understanding that our adult education field is really a bipartisan issue that everyone should be concerned about. And I wanted to learn how to articulate that more in the circles that I I operate in when I'm talking to corporates or higher education and understanding that where we are in our adult learning field helps many people um transcend and and get economic mobility and it was just really important to me that I was able to articulate the stories of our adult learners. So one of the things that I was really excited about and I considered as an accomplishment was to go to the Day on the Hill at the Capitol. It was very inspiring to see that there were groups of people on the Hill every day talking about what they're passionate about and got some really good responses and feedback from the folks that we were able to talk to that day. The other thing that I looked at as an accomplishment is that I was able to really understand the value of what it means that students should be there with us, and so we were able to sign up folks from our organization to be student leaders and for the first time since I've been a part of the program, we're now sending and signing up our students to become members of their of their of the national organization at COABE, so they can learn best how to advocate for themselves. So if anyone is thinking that, OK, maybe I, I can't do this or I'm unsure of this, I would say that please know that everything you decide to advocate for will be celebrated, and you also have lots of support to help you do this. So I say go for it and don't worry about if you make a misstep or you think, OK, I might fail at this because there is no failing. Every inch and every milestone will be celebrated, so I would say just keep your head up high and go for it.
What were your biggest accomplishments during your SAAEF fellowship?
Monica Stansberry: There were 2. 1 was participating in a Day on the Hill, with my colleagues from across the country, and secondly was this year we as an organization signed up folks to attend the COABE conference because it's right here in our hometown. And we are, we also submitted students as student leaders, so we're excited about that because we want students to start advocating for themselves when they are in their spaces and uh understanding what that looks like. So those are the two things I would say I'm most excited about.
What would you like to say to someone in the field who is unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate?
Monica Stansberry: I wanna say that if you are unsure on the fence about participating in SAAEF, don't be. You have a network of support, you have many individuals there to celebrate the milestones and accomplishments that you will make. You are also given scripts. And you are um just really supported in in more ways than one. For example, I never thought I could go to the Hill and participate in an advocacy session, but through the supportive environment that COABE presented, I was able to do just that. It inspired me to come home and sign up our students as student leaders as well. So I say. Just go for it. You have a a wealth of support and resources provided, and there is no one right way to do things, and there certainly is not a wrong way to do it, so I just say go for it.
