CORE VALUES AND ETHICS PAPER

Core Values and Ethics Paper

G.R.A.C.E.
Fatima Elali
Dennis Sheridan, Ph. D.
Legal and Ethical Issues

CORE VALUES AND ETHICS PAPER

In terms of guiding me towards thinking about my values, various influences come to

mind. Marcus, the leader of the young adult ministry and facilitator of a bible study group at my
church is one person who challenged and enriched my understanding of the role I play in Gods
kingdom. It was through reading scripture and most importantly building community with my
peers that helped me question whether my values and beliefs fit with my Catholic faith and vice
versa. My grandmothers modeling of being a good Christian, also, reminds me of how I need to
trust God more in times of disarray. She does not drive and this setback has not stopped her
from going to mass and her weekly faith sharing gatherings; she frequently says, God will
provide the way. Henry David Thoreaus Walden and Machiavellis The Prince, are novels
that have allowed me to compare and contrast my values to theirs. For example, Machiavelli
points out that it is better for a leader to be feared than loved. I understood his reasoning to some
extent but a leader can get more done through kindness than fear. Joseph Fletchers stance on
making decisions based on love is what is more ethical (p.165). Thoreaus focus on simplicity
and living closely with nature; valuing, seeing, hearing, and breathing it, questioned my values of
comfort and love for nature. This dissonance made me a better critical thinker.
My five top core values fall into the acronym G.R.A.C.E. G stands for generosity and
how important it is to give to others in a loving way. This mostly stems from my familys culture
of helping the less fortunate in one way or another. As I grew up, I remember my mom dropping
off toys and clothes she no longer needed at my elementary school and my dad and mother
helping their siblings financially when they were in need. However, a time when this value was
challenged was when others when old friends did not follow through with paying back a personal
loan. I questioned whether it was worth being so open to giving and realized that trust was
another factor that needed to be genuinely considered; I couldnt trust others so easily. Steve

CORE VALUES AND ETHICS PAPER

Wilkens discussion of behaviorism reminds me how impactful my upbringing was in the

learning of being generous and how this behavior slightly changed when it lead me to experience
feelings of hurt (p.67-69). Wilkens explanation of virtue ethics, which says that being good
should be the focus rather than the potential consequences of a being good, is how I dealt with
these situations (p.135). It feels better to know that doing good is really what matters even if
some may not appreciate it.
R is for respect and it is also held in high regards because it is about giving to others
the right to protect their body, mind, and soul. My parents gave me an opportunity to be me as
I grew up as I was allowed to follow my own interests such as reading and taking dance classes.
My faith background also played a role. I remember being really into a bible songs book that I
would love to listen to after school. The songs themes about Gods love encouraged in me
virtues of being a good human being. A person who caused me to re-think my value of respect
was a co-worker of mine who advised me that I should not give a rude student the full respect as
other students. Everyone deserves respect not matter the situation but what matters more is
having a strong accountability system that encourages respectful behavior.
A stands for advancement. This in fact relates to one of my top strengths developer.
I have always liked learning more about myself through asking for feedback from professors,
supervisors, co-workers, and friends. Taking assessments and seeing the benefits of when I go
out of my comfort zone are other tasks I enjoy. This love for self-actualizing myself transfers to
wanting the same for others too. For instance, when a student talks about a failure I always tend
to encourage them and let them know that there will be another opportunity to redeem
themselves.

CORE VALUES AND ETHICS PAPER

C stands for cordialness and it is defined as wanting to be kind to others so that they
feel welcomed and content. It is part of my familys culture, especially the Arab culture, to make
guests or friends feel appreciated and at home. Particularly, my dad insists that his guests eat
more food after they have finished their plate. This may be more acceptable for some than others
due to cultural differences as what is ethically correct in one country can be inappropriate in
another (p.15). However, in my case this has showed me that guests or others should be treated
with cordialness. This need for making others feel good makes me feel competent and at ease
perhaps because I am being true to myself. If a student lets me know that I am a great counselor,
Id love the compliment. It shows that I was hospitable enough to make them feel content.
The E stands for equity because lots of my ethical decisions are based on treating
others with the same attention and efficacy. This was nurtured through my elementary school
education that provided a religious curriculum that included topics about how we should become
better beings and Gods love for us. Virtue ethics talks about how we should be good despite
the temptations of doing wrong just as I was taught at school (p.130).
My core values generosity, respect, advancement, cordialness, and equity impact my
work with students. My value of giving to others allows me to easily be more courteous with my
students through asking how they are doing and giving compliments and incentives for good
behavior. Respect is shown through me letting students know that they have the freedom to
decide how to format their resume if they do not prefer my suggestions. I often put more effort in
being observant of what works and what doesnt and this is mostly due to my value of
advancement or believing that my students are always able to develop. The tendency to offer a
student some water or snacks, also, shows cordialness and spending the same amount of energy
on a student no matter their motivation level demonstrates my value of equity.

CORE VALUES AND ETHICS PAPER

Overall, all of these values compliment my pursuit of getting into the student affairs
profession. It is all about enriching students lives through increasing their holistic development
and helping them accomplish their career and personal aspirations. My love for serving others
through advising and counseling is aided by my values such as generosity, cordialness, and
respect. I am a more effective counselor because these values assist me in making students
comfortable. Lastly, the significance of equity is big as it ties in well with my philosophy of
helping not only those that are highly privileged but those that are under privileged. I seek to be a
difference maker that helps level out the playing field so that all students have an opportunity to
have a high quality college education in order to achieve their dreams.