- This event has passed.
June 3, 2026 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
As higher education continues to evolve, the pressure on staff continues to grow. For many in the profession, an honest question sits just below the surface: How do I stay in a job that I love that is also soul crushing? For most of us, this isn’t really about love or hate. It’s about sustainability and staying connected to the why that brought us to these roles. What kept you going in year two probably looks very different from what keeps you going now, and that’s ok. The question is whether you’ve been honest with yourself about that shift.
Come spend an hour with two seasoned professionals who are sitting with that same question alongside their teams every day. We’ll dig into what it takes to stay in this work long term, how your why evolves over time, and how to know whether what you’re feeling calls for a reset or something more. Whether you’re fired up and just need to catch your breath, or quietly wondering how much longer you can keep going, this conversation is for you.
About the Presenters
- Sarah Comstock is a 30-year student affairs professional who spent the first 23 years working in student unions and activities, before moving to the administrative side. She has been at the University of Puget Sound for 19 years. Her days run the gamut of being in community with students who find joy on campus and being with those who struggle with every decision. ACUI remains her professional home, giving her a wonderful community of people to connect with and rely on.
- Dwayne Isaacs is a higher education professional with nearly two decades of experience in student unions and activities. He has led teams, built programs, guided new construction, and navigated just about everything this field can throw at you. He currently serves as senior director of the Reitz Union at the University of Florida and has been an active ACUI volunteer since 2009. What keeps him coming back is still there, it just looks a little different than it did at the start.
Core Competencies
- Human Resources
- Organizational Leadership
Learning Outcomes
- Reflect on why they chose student affairs as a profession
- Examine whether and how their ‘why’ has changed
- Identify what they need to sustain their commitment to the work both in the short term and long term
Registration Details
- Individual at Premium or Full Tier Member Campus: Free
- Individual at Digital Tier Member Campus – $20
- Individual at Nonmember Campus – $50
Each person who wants access to event or resources following event should register individually. Members must be associated with the correct campus account to receive the $0 rate, where applicable; please contact acui@acui.org with questions or issues.