Picture Taken by; Haythem Lafhaj
Asme Segai is a senior majoring in communications with a double minor in business management and religion. Currently, she is working as the resident assistant (RA) for the second floor of the Hamline apartments. Moreover, she is active in several organizations around campus, including PRIDE Black Student Alliance and Hamline African Student Association. When not on campus, Segai works for Barbizon Modeling and Acting LLC, the oldest acting school in the country. She started working at Barbizon while in high school as a teacher and has worked her way up to the Director of Education position. Segai plans to continue working for Barbizon full time after she graduates this fall.
Q: What is your role at Barbizon?
A: As the Director of Education I help run and manage the schools. The schools go one weekend a month working with kids ages 8-18, men and women. I, as a director, have a staff. Depending on class sizes, I’ll have one or two instructors and an intern to help me out. I run the Minneapolis school and I get offered traveling locations. Not every director travels, but I’m blessed enough to travel.
Q: Where are a few places you’ve gotten to travel for work?
A: I traveled to a school in Lansing, Michigan last year. Currently, I run one of the Chicago schools and I’m helping out with the Nashville school on the side as well. Once my Chicago school ends, I’ll be running the Las Vegas School. It’s super cool and I’m basically gone one weekend a month for it.
Q: What motivates you to keep working with Barbizon?
A: Definitely the students. When I initially started as an instructor I thought it would be a good way to give back to the program that helped me when I was a student. And I loved it. I love interacting with students, I love seeing the passion they have. I thought my role was to influence the students in a positive manner but it actually helped shape me and cultivate new ideas.
Q: Why did you become an (RA)?
A: My first year, I lived in the dorms and my RA wasn’t very active. My floor didn’t get that sense of community so I thought I could do that. I used to hang out in other dorms that had that sense of community because of the RA, so I tried out for the job and got it. I was placed in the building I had my first year and it was the best experience I ever had. I like making connections with students and building that community that I never had.
Q: What is your favorite event on campus?
A: OOOH! So many! One of them has to be the Lip Syncing battle that happens towards the end of the first semester. It’s always super fun to watch and it gets really creative and competitive. My next favorite is RHAs Late Night Study Breakfast; that’s always super fun. I have not won a prize yet, but I’m hoping with this being my last year I’ll win something.
Asme is excited to power through her senior year at Hamline and bring some Piper Pride into the real world.