As first-year students haul cardboard boxes into residence halls in late August, the first person they meet is typically their Resident Assistant (RA). RAs takes on the responsibility of making Whitman “home” to new students and fostering a sense of community in their section.
As the deadline approaches for RA applications, sophomores and juniors seeking involvement in the first-year experience weigh the pros and cons of taking on this yearlong commitment.
“Virtually all RAs will agree that you learn so much during your year of service: things about yourself, such as confidence and assertiveness, as well as practical skills such as working in groups,” said Lyman Resident Director Ben Wu.
“I have felt challenged and pushed in so many ways. I am daily forced to self-reflect and re-evaluate,” said junior Karina Kidd, RA of F-Section in Anderson. “I have learned a lot about handling conflict, how I react best to criticism and how others perceive my leadership style. My abilities as a leader have definitely grown a lot. Finally, I also think that being an RA has given me a lot of great resources for my time at Whitman.”
Not only does this program help current students develop their leadership skills, but it can be a source of friendship between students who may not otherwise interact.
“The job is all about people and making connections with them, helping to them to solve problems, and being a friend. It can’t get any better than that…who doesn’t want more friends?” said junior Maryn Juergens, RA of the pit in Jewett.
Due to the sheer number of creative and motivated students on the Whitman campus, the application process is fairly competitive.
“Important is flexibility, desire to do the job and curiosity. We have had as many as 90 applicants, but an average would be 60,” said Nancy Tavelli, Director of Residence Life and Housing.
The Residence Life staff hires RAs not just for on-campus dorms, but for each of the Interest Houses as well. The specific qualifications for a candidate vary depending on the needs of each section, resulting in a very thorough and lengthy application process.
“The selection process consists of a written application, an interview with a current RA, and three interviews with Resident Directors. It’s difficult to talk about competitiveness, because we’re looking to build not only the best possible staffs for individual buildings, [but also] for the Residence Life staff as a whole,” said Wu.
The Residence Life staff hires RAs to begin during the second semester of their sophomore or junior year. This program is designed to ease them into the position with second-semester first-years so they are more equipped to handle the incoming class in fall.
Creativity is required to build a tight-knit community, and so is an important qualification for the RA position. Events such as section mixers and themed dinners provide another outlet for underclassmen to socialize with their peers.
“I love to plan different programs and this job allows me to use my creativity for creating new types of fun!” said Juergens. “For example, last Friday night my section had a girls night of ‘Sex and the City’ watching, accompanied by mocktails and popcorn.”
Although the free room and board, new friendships and freedom to plan fun events seems attractive to prospective RAs, there are some potential struggles.
“While I have gotten better at policy enforcement and confrontation, I still don’t enjoy it. Being an authority figure and a friend at the same time also draws serious difficulties. Trying to walk the line between these two is still a struggle for me,” said Kidd.
Just because RAs live in their workplace does not take away from the difficulty of the job, which requires significant time and effort. Yet the personal growth experienced and the joy of bettering another student’s on-campus experience seems to justify the big commitment for most RAs.
“It can be hard living away from friends who are off-campus, or feeling like no one understands the sometimes 20 hours a week I put into this job, but I have never felt like it has not been worth it,” said Kidd.
As applications pour in, the Residence Life staff has to consider the various personal qualities required for the job.
“The most noticeable RAs are often those who are super excited to do everything and have a ton of energy, but some of the best RAs also happen to be those who are comparatively quiet,” said Wu.
The Residence Life staff seeks a diverse group of applicants and encourages all qualified and interested students to apply.
“Again we stress not numbers, but getting a great pool. We have been most fortunate to get great RAs year after year. I feel very privileged to work with such an amazingly dedicated group who can have much positive impact on their communities,” said Tavelli.
