Resident Advisor Case Study

As a resident assistant, I upheld and am continuing to uphold University Housing’s mission of ensuring affordable, comfortable, secure housing on campus while promoting the academic success and personal growth of the residents. From crisis management to programming for the community, my responsibilities varied to be an enforcer of the policies but also to be a friend to all. I built quality relationships with each of my residents to establish an authentic community among the diverse population. Whether it was simply helping

My interest in a Resident Assistant position comes from my desire to help. I was born with a very strong sense of empathy and if I see that a person is struggling I do all that I can do to alleviate them. Whether it is a person with a learning disability who struggled in class to the “weirdo” in high school who just wanted a friend, I’ve been there for them. Nothing is more painful to me than seeing a person being mistreated, under respected or neglected and I do all I can to protect people from this. My goal is to make every person feel as if they have someone on their side, someone

The Resident Officer Program of Elgin (ROPE) was created in May 1991 in Elgin, Illinois. The reason why it was created was to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods that were plagued with crime and violence (Elgin, 2017). The idea behind it was to have law enforcement officers live within the troubled communities free of charge so that there was a constant officer presence as well as to help bridge the gap of distrust between the residents and the police department. The resident officer program is still in existence and Elgin currently has four resident officers (3 males and one female) and has expanded to other parts of Illinois as well as in Texas (Dempsey & Forst, 2016). The status of the program is that is has proven to be very effective in Elgin as well as other locations throughout Illinois and Texas. Rockford, Illinois Police Chief Dan O’Shea is getting the program implemented into his department because as a former officer

I am applying to be an RA because I enjoy being a role model and a positive influence on others. I have been in positions before in which I was in charge of multiple people around my age, and I really enjoyed those experiences. I believe that an effective RA has strong leadership, communication, disciplinary, and charismatic skills. An RA is in charge of around twenty other students, it is important that they must be their residents’ friend and a big brother/sister to the residents and by having those skills the residents should feel as if the RA is a big brother/sister. In my opinion, the most important skill is communication. If a resident is struggling with a class, a resident is homesick, or just has any personal problems the RA is probably one of the first people they talk to. Communicating to their residents in those times can mean the world to them; just a simple conversation can help improve a person.

Becoming a PA is a way to not only help the new incoming students but also a way to know and interact with the new residents, which is exactly why Rachel decided to become one, “I wanted to interact with the residents and get to know them but not on the same level as an RA.” There is a huge difference between being an RA and being a PA, well at least to me there is. A PA links residents to academic resources on the campus and helps the residents’ transition from high school level to college level. PAs serve as permanent extra resources that are available 24/7; if you do not know how to study or build up your study habits they are there to help you with that. Not only are the PAs living in the dorms with residents but they also share and serve as teacher assistants in the UNIV 1231 course with the residents they are assigned to. The PAs are almost like academic advisors in a way, they assist the residents with

I am confident that my creativity, communication, and organization skills will benefit Towson’s residential community. Being creative breaks monotony and can make things interesting for everyone involved. Communications skills are important to have for this position since I will be working with residents and other RAs on a daily basis. Having transferred from two other schools, I have met many people and experienced many different things, which I believe makes me more relatable than just your average person. Being organized and detail-oriented makes working with me simple and reduces stress for everyone. Due to my positive and empathetic personality, I am an easy person to talk to and get along with.

First and foremost, I think that it is most important for a Resident Advisor to be open and able to keep the peace within the resident’s hall. Whether it be dealing with roommate difficulties, confronting inappropriate behavior, or dealing with

I want to become a Resident Advisor so that I can have the opportunity to be a support system and resource for the students of OU. I am interested in helping residents succeed, while working to build an inclusive community in the Residence Halls. I am a recent transfer student, so I am just beginning to find my place at the University. What I have found here is a support system of people who want to see me succeed and have gone above and beyond to help me in every way imaginable. My goal as a Resident Advisor would be to become a similar resource for residents while developing my leadership skills and creating a positive atmosphere.

I want to be a resident advisor for many reasons. Some of these reasons include the inclination to help new students become familiar, comfortable, and happy in their new living environments. I have many qualities that make me suitable for a resident advisor position. I also understand the importance that programming and leadership has when living with new students.

In my senior year of high school, I became the student body Vice President and discovered what it means to be an influential leader on campus. This experience exposed me to develop an array of qualities that can be utilized in the role of being resident assistants (RA). I have gained insightful knowledge of the intricate details necessary to be a productive leader who guides in an encouraging and supportive way. A gift that I posses is my ability to organize creative and innovative ways to build camaraderie among the people I serve. This is crucial and beneficial because it ensures for a safe and welcoming environment where everyone feels confident to seek assistance when needed. As a representative of this university and myself, I bring a dedicated intensity about infusing change by vocalizing the wants, needs, and concerns of the students to make my school resilience to an environment conducive to learning.

I had the absolute honor of meeting and interviewing the wonderful Isis Howard, a Residential Advisor in PCV 1. Isis, a 2nd year Environmental Management and Protection major, greeted me with a smile which led me to immediately feel comfortable around her. Isis had several personal motivations for why she chose to become a RA; ranging from personal growth and gaining useful life skills, such as communication, honesty, and leadership, to giving back to the Cal Poly community. One point brought up that resigned with me was that her transition to living on her own had been difficult, but her RAs were there for her every step of the way. Their efforts to create a sense of home in an unfamiliar environment truly motivated her to become a RA. Now that Isis has received the job, she mentions she receives the benefits that she hoped for from the beginning everyday- she continues to develop skills in a wide range of areas that deem valuable for life.

As a DC-CAP College Representative I will advocate on campus centered on the relationship I have established with Housing and Residence Life throughout the years. Currently, I am a Resident Advisor (RA) and a member of Residence Hall Association (RHA) both concerning housing. My role as an RA is to foster the community, provide academic support, being attentive to safety and security of the residents, and to serve as an overall counselor to the residents. Also, as an RA I develop programs that educate and encourage residents to build relationships. Furthermore, as a member of RHA my role is to develop residence hall policies, programs, and be the voice for all residence hall students and address the concerns of all the residents.

People have told me that I have a certain aura about me that people felt comfortable and felt at ease. My sophomore year at Nevada I became a Resident Assistant and this aura that people felt made it easy for me to connect with my residents and assist them in their struggles that they were facing. Taking this job I had learned so much and had grown tremendously from it. Many people think an RA to be the police of the residence hall but for me that was not the case. I wanted to help the students get acclimated to the university and aid them in their times of need. I was not just busting students for alcohol but I was trying to help them be safe. Student came to me for advice from heartbreak of a loved one, to suicidal thoughts and depression.

As a SUNY Oneonta Resident Community Advisor, you play an important role within the Residential Community Life Department. The RCA role will specifically work with students’ living within First year Experience and Transfer Living Communities. This role provides on-call duty coverage for his/she’s assigned community, while also completing some evening office hours to connect with residents. Instead of building community among a floor, the RCA position focuses on fostering and building community on a building-wide level. RCAs will build a strong partnership with the New Student Services (NSS) staff to assist students within their transition. This positions provides some intentional programming to better prepare students’ for the next step, whether

I understand how significant it is having a support system because I can easily testify to the numerous individuals who have redirected my path to become who I am today, which I am proud of. If I am selected to be a Resident Advisor at UNC Charlotte, I aspire to become that hand that will pull you up from your darkest hours. I aspire to become known as that individual who is always willing to discuss the struggles, positives or anything you may need. Becoming a Resident Advisor would mean making a difference and as I stated in the preceding questions, I strive for development, influence and impact. Currently, I have experience representing the student body, more specifically the freshman class, with participation in the Student Government Association