From “Friendsgiving” to Group Advising: Student Mattering in HESA Master’s Programs

Current higher education and student affairs (HESA) conversations highlight the complexities of administrative roles and the need to effectively prepare graduate students. This study asks: what are higher education and student affairs master’s program graduates’ reflections on experiences with marginality and mattering in graduate school? Using a marginality and mattering framework and qualitative interpretive design, we examined the experiences of 22 HESA graduates. Findings offer insights to support graduate student mattering and strengthen professional preparation.