Name: Courtney Durant
Hometown: Cambridge, MN
Major: Therapeutic Recreation
Year: Junior
Meet Courtney, the president of Residence Hall Association (RHA) and the event planner/fundraiser for Young Life, who is also in love with the “Minnesota mountains.”
Her Campus (HC): How did you choose Winona State and what is your favorite part of the campus and/or the city of Winona?
Courtney Durant (CD): My cousin completed her degree here and I was fortunate enough to come visit her a couple times. She told me about the HERS majors they offered, and I instantly became interested. During those visits I fell in love with the atmosphere and landscape. I’ve always loved mountains, so I call the bluffs my Minnesota mountains.
HC: Your major is Therapeutic Recreation. Can you explain it and tell us how you came to know about it?
CD: Therapeutic Recreation basically utilizes many different recreational activities to improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illnesses or physical disabilities. I originally came to Winona State believing I was going to be a chiropractor or physical therapist. As the semesters went by I realized I didn’t want to be sitting in an office 24/7, so I started talking to friends and professors to get the lowdown on new majors I would be interested in. Therapeutic Recreation seemed like the best major with the most potential for me.
HC: What is your favorite part of the major and where do you hope to work with the major?
CD: My favorite part of the major is that there are so many options. I can end up working at camps or in a setting like a nursing home. I hope to be able to work in a camp setting in the summer and in a clinical setting like a children’s hospital in the winter.
HC: You are the president of Residence Hall Association (RHA). What is RHA and what does it do for/with the residence halls?
CD: As the president of RHA, I oversee the running of hall councils in each residence hall. The hall council consists of 4 members: president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. All of our 7 residence halls on campus have a hall council who holds meetings every Monday night. Before they hold their own individual hall meetings, we all meet beforehand to connect and talk about new happenings on campus.
RHA essentially acts as a voice between the University and students. It’s our job to relay important information to students in order for them to succeed. We also promote on-campus housing as a viable option for every student who doesn’t feel comfortable signing a lease for off-campus houses.
HC: How can someone become involved with RHA?
CD: Everyone can be involved with RHA by attending weekly hall council meetings or attending our GA meetings. We also put on two events each semester and everyone is welcome to attend and socialize.
HC: You are also the event planner/fundraiser for Young Life. Can you explain what Young Life is and what you do in your position?
CD: Young Life is a non-denominational church organization. Winona State is lucky enough to have Young Life on campus. As a leader of Young Life, we talk about who Jesus is and how a relationship with Him can be beneficial in many ways. It doesn’t matter where our members are in their faith; we let anyone come to hang out and play some fun games. In my own personal role as event planner/fundraiser, I find fun and exciting events to participate in as a group and also find fundraising opportunities for our club to raise money.
HC: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
CD: I would LOVE to backpack around Europe.
HC: What’s your favorite thing to do to pass time? (P.S.: you can’t choose Netflix – I know that you do other stuff than watch Grey’s in your free time.)
CD: I really love playing my guitar and hiking.
Courtney is a person who cares about others, and her leadership roles with the organizations that she is a part of show that she is ready to take on whatever comes her way.