Becoming a Resident Assistant  is a great way to make a difference on campus. Resident assistants or RA’s have lots of different responsibilities, but the most important is to build community among residents in the dorms. RA’s put on floor events, all halls, and use a variety of different strategies to connect with students. Community RA’s are the glue that holds floors within dorms together. They are responsible for developing a meaningful experience and promoting the wellbeing among residents on their floor in their resident hall.  They work at the front desk, they do rounds to ensure students are safe, and advocate for what students want to see in the dorms. 
 

Carlie, a second year RA in Honeycomb, has a great insight into what being an RA down the hill is like. Carlie explained that when it comes to being an RA, “it’s up to the residents” when it comes to building connections. RA’s are great resources for residents to use. They go through lots of training to help make them people students can come to when they need. Carlie stated that she loves “building community with the freshmen, walking them through what it’s like to be at college” and helping residents work through their issues. Building a community within a dorm helps create a community all throughout campus.

RA’s meet Thursdays for weekly meetings for updates and training. Carlie says, “the variety of people you meet is the fun part of staff”. Meeting people from all walks of life helps you grow as a person by teaching you how to appreciate differences among others. This job makes very different people all have at least one thing in common that they can talk about. Getting to know each person on your staff is like creating a family on campus. You all rely on each other the same way you would a sibling. 
 

Being a Community RA is a great role, but the benefits of the position are a highlight of the position. RA’s receive free housing, a free 15+ meal plan, priority registration, priority consideration for resident reserved parking, and a stipend split throughout the year. These benefits help many RA’s graduate with minimal student debt. 

RA Interest Sessions are a great way to learn more information about the position and application process. The next two sessions are November 1st at 12-1pm and December 5th 6-7pm. For more information click here.