The life of an RA

 

By: Matthias Baudinet

As a privileged member of the residence life team, I get to have many one-on-one encounters with a number of students here on campus. I applied to be a resident assistant in the spring of my sophomore semester. I was influenced by friends of mine who were already RAs that believed that I could be a great RA. Though a little nervous at first, I later came to realize that applying for this position was one of the best choices that I have made in my life.

     I have always been a people person, and being an RA has allowed me to meet so many new people, and has sparked many great friendships for me. As an RA I have also managed to develop my organization skills, my ability to plan events, and figured out different ways of bringing a community together. In a professional job-related sense, being an RA has helped me tremendously. 

    Of course, with being an RA comes the obligation of enforcing student policies and rules. This can sometimes lead to tense or uncomfortable situations with other students, but in broader sense it allows you and students that you might be dealing with to recognize that every person can learn from mistakes made, and that by learning from those mistakes you become a better person.

    After finishing my first full semester as an RA, I have been approached by many students who are interested in the career of student affairs and in becoming a resident assistant. This has allowed me to see myself as a role model for others, and made me realize that what I have done as RA has inspired someone else to decide to apply for a RA position. This is a wonderful feeling that many of you can experience if you chose to become an RA and stick with it. 

    I encourage all here at Green Mountain College and prospective students who are reading this to apply for an RA position when they have a chance! It will benefit you in every way possible.