New RA at SNC!

I am very excited to announce that I am officially a Resident Assistant at Saint Norbert College! I am a RA in one of the first-year residence halls on campus, and so far it has been enjoyable! I met most of my girls this past Thursday when they moved in, and they have helped me become excited for this next semester of college from all of their excitement! Being an RA was a goal of mine even before I began college, and it took time and effort to solidify the position.

I was a junior in high school when a friend of mine became an RA at his college, and, at that time, I was not familiar with what an RA was or did. However, after hearing about his role on his college campus, I knew that I also wanted to be involved in that way. 

As a Resident Assistant, I serve my floor residents, as well as 3 collective campus living communities, by assisting them in their academic, emotional, mental, and social needs. By serving in this way, RA’s strive to build a sense of community and a place where students can bond with one another and have a place to call their home. Daily, I try to be available for my residents and support them. It is so amazing to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others in this way!

Knowing I wanted to become an RA, I became involved in Residential Education and Housing (REH) immediately upon beginning the next chapter of my life at Saint Norbert College as a freshman. I joined the Residential Housing Association (RHA) and became active within my residence hall in different ways. These ways included hosting engaging gatherings, and proposing solutions to the needs residents of the hall presented to us on our hall committee. Additionally, with my involvement in RHA, I worked with those who were full-time employees of REH so that I could become familiar with those individuals as well as the work dynamics of REH. 

Over winter break, I submitted my RA application and began to prepare for my interview. It was very competitive to get a position; I was told there were about 60 applicants and only 15 positions. You may be wondering why being an RA is such a desired position, and it is because as an RA you not only get to make a difference within your community, but your Room and Board are also paid for. It is a nice bonus 🙂 So, because of my desire to obtain a position, I thoroughly prepared myself, and I did so in the following ways:

• Updated my resume and made it look more professional
• Wrote numerous responses to various interview questions that I received in a packet from Saint Norbert College’s Career Services
• Had 2 mock interviews with Career Services
• Continued my engagement in RHA

On February 18, 2020, I had Part 1 of my interview! It went well, and I felt prepared because of the prep work I engaged in with Career Services. During this interview, I sat before all of the Area Coordinators of the residence halls on campus (there were 7 AC’s), and I answered their questions. We also laughed together about some different things. I enjoyed being with them! Part 2 of the interview process was a group interview. On a Saturday morning, February 22, myself and all the other RA applicants were brought together and placed into 4 different groups. We were dispersed between 4 different rooms, and in each room were current RAs who observed our interactions and engagement with each other. I will be honest, it was slightly intimidating. As a group, we rotated between the 4 rooms, and in each room, there was a different activity to engage in. Overall, I had a lot of fun!

The day everyone was emailed about the position decisions, I remember exactly where I was and what first went through my head. I had just been dismissed from one of my classes and was headed to another, and I will be honest, at first, I didn’t think I was selected for the position because the beginning of the email began with something similar to, “Thank you for your application for the Resident Assistant position. We had many applicants this year making it competitive”. Those first few sentences did not sound promising, but as I kept reading the email I eventually came across, “We are offering you a position in Sensenbrenner Hall…” and I could not help but smile. 

Yes, I excitedly accept the offer!! Yay!!

And now, after having completed training week and everyone being moved back onto campus, I reflect on the effort I put into receiving this position but more importantly the reality of this position is a blessing from God. I know I have already said this, but I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have been blessed with!

I have my first duty night this upcoming Thursday and my first floor program next week so wish me luck!

Below, in the comment box, share about a goal that you worked hard for and obtained! I want to hear from you! 

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