This course was a requirement for my student employment position as a Resident Assistant in Lancer Park. The class, taken with RA’s from across campus, is taught by the former Dean of Students. This job is not a form of training, but more an environment to have meaningful conversations between student staff members on the circumstances and trials facing our residents. These topics include drugs, alcohol, Title IX, and mental health.

This course was one of the most challenging courses in my college career, but not because there was a lot of work, big tests, or tough grading. I was the only Head Resident Assistant in the course and the only RA with experience on the job. While it was nice to be able to provide support to new RA’s at times, it was hard to not have support or understanding for my position. The conversations in this course were meaningful, productive, and sparked passion for change often, which certainly made the time and commitment worthwhile.

As an honors student, my project consisted of research on a topic of choice that I find to be a major issue among my residents and college students in general. I did research on personal hygiene (not pandemic related) and presented at the virtual Research Day. The research, my concerns, and my suggestions can be found on the poster below.