2021-2022
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At the start of the 2021-22 school year, I got hired as a Resident Advisor for Siddall Hall. As RA I assist residents with questions, concerns, conflict, develop programs for my floor, respond to emergency situations and facilitate a positive living environment.
Reflecting on my time as an RA for the semester, one learning curve has been inclusion. With my floor having LGBTQ+ residents and me identifying as straight feamle. I had had have little experience with the community, I have put time and effort into understanding how to make sure pronouns were encouraged and practiced. In order to ensure I create an inclusive environment I have communicated with the residents for feedback about what I can to help facilitate inclusion. |
At the beginning, my RA journey was a rollercoaster with being hired a week before I moved into Siddall, so I didn’t have much time to prepare, so I was a bit nervous about everything. Now that I have gotten through a semester as a RA, one piece of advise I would give myself in August would be to go with the flow, be adjustable, not worry about being a perfect RA, and focus on the relationships with my residents.
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After a great semester, I am so excited for another with my residents and to implement new initiatives based on feedback I got from my residents, like advertising more campus organizations and volunteer opportunities. I also plan to create more empowerment, educational topics and gain more resident input into floor events. On the other end of skill development next semester, I hope to gain more skills in conflict management to help residents more effectively.
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Overall being a RA has been one of the most impactful experiences in my college journey. This position has allowed me to positively impact the lives of my residents, give them the resources to succeed, and be a positive part of their first-year experience. My ultimate goal is to make their lives better because I was here.
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