Hometown: Born in Southfield, Michigan but raised in Ellicott City, Maryland
Major: Microbiology with a minor in Gender and Health
Fun Fact: My mom named me after a weatherman–she thought it would bring light into my life.
Her Campus: What made you want to be a Residential Advisor this year?
Sunny Xu: I was a Community Advisor last year, and I kind of felt just like any other resident. I didn’t have to put my foot down too often, so I was actually really scared to be an RA. Working on staff definitely opened me up to campus and to life issues, it forced me to break out of my shyness, and even helped me decide on my minor. After living in Northwood as a freshman and not finding “my people,” I realized, especially as a sophomore, that I still needed to find a community and my place on campus. North Quad became that for me after I was a CA. I wanted to be that support system for another group of sophomores coming in.
HC: What has your time as a CA and now an RA taught you about yourself?
SX: I think growing up I always wanted to help people, and being a part of staff, I now know how to better advocate for people as a form of helping people. It’s not just about assisting someone, but it’s about advocating for someone’s safety and wellbeing and getting their feedback on anything and everything.
HC: What’s the worst part of the job?
SX: Probably dealing with conflict. It can be good and bad. Dealing with conflict and helping people grow from the situation is not a bad thing, but realizing sometimes you can’t fully solve a problem and make everyone happy is difficult. Knowing everyone has school and personal issues as stressors and then having to deal with a community conflict on top of it is hard to see. There ends up having to be a lot of give and take.
HC: Where do you go from here?
SX: I’m actually going to be an RC next year, so I’ll be a Residential Staff Coordinator. In addition to being an RA, I will be the liaison between staff and my leadership team, facilitating discussions about any concerns that may come up. I’ll also be advising Hall Council and will get the chance to sit down with the other campus RC’s to discuss problems, improvements, and to hear general feedback from the group.
HC: What advice would you give to future RAs?
SX: Find out what your personal style of getting to know people is. In staff we talk a lot about planning events for the entire hall, but that’s not always the easiest way to meet everyone. Also, you have to keep an open mind, both of other staff members and of residents. Not everyone comes from the same background as you, in terms of income and experiences, so just try to be there for people and let people be there for you.