With Community Assistant (Residential Assistant) hiring season in full-swing, I wanted to discuss how experiences at RLUH (Residential Learning and University Housing) have completely transformed my college experience in all the best ways. When I applied for this position my freshman year, I attended my interview and was nervous that I did not answer the questions to the best of my ability. Ultimately, I was put on the Alternate list, which means that I was not chosen as first-pick. Alternates receive a call if a Community Assistant position would become available for them, they would receive a call to move into the housing assignment and become the CA.
I received the call January of 2025 and moved into my freshman housing assignment at the beginning of this previous Spring semester. I was so incredibly nervous and excited to start my journey; meeting all my residents was quite overwhelming, but every single one of them helped me grow as a person.
Through this journey, my self-confidence has become stronger, and I’ve especially grown more confident in my decision-making skills. Being On-Duty and having situations arise, you must think on-the-spot to make decisions that assist residents in the best way possible. In the Spring, I really struggled with this aspect of the job because I was highly insecure of my decision-making skills. This was something I worked really hard on over the summer and am already showing clear signs of improvement.
A quote I’ve been seeing recently is, “to have a village, you must be a villager”; and it’s really resonated with me. Building a community for residents is especially crucial, but it goes further than just the job description in that you also build a community for yourself. I’ve grown good connections with my fellow co-workers and every duty-shift or staff meeting with them is a breath of fresh air. Every CA I’ve ever met has been such a kind-hearted person, and these are people I will forever want to spend my time around. A community doesn’t just build itself; you need to put in the work to become a villager; reaching out, making plans and saying “yes” more often. I’ve always struggled with building deep friendships, but through this experience I’ve been pushing myself to become more of a villager.