This past weekend the Office of Residence Life and the Residence
Hall Association held their joint awards banquet. While I had to rush to make
the event, I was so glad I was there. One of the biggest challenges of moving
up within residence life, and I would argue many organizations, is the way your
relationship with people changes. Within residence life I spent five years
working as a Hall Director and in this role I was able to see some of the poor
choices students make, but more often than that I was able to see the positive
choices and growth in specific students. While both of these types of
interactions involve students, there is something unique about getting to work
with a student who is looking to improve themselves and take on a leadership
role in the hall, versus the student who trying to argue they did not know it
was wrong to climb out their room window and get onto the roof of a building
(real life example, even the mother of the student argued that since it was not
in our handbook there was no way her son could know he needed permission to
climb onto the roof of a building).
I was very humbled and blessed to see such a parade of students at
the Office of Residence Life and the Residence Hall Association banquet being
recognized for their work. While I saw some students who I anticipate will make
a career within higher education, I also witnessed many who will move on with
their career plans and land in places very far from the enforcing quiet hours
and presenting programs that have made up part of their college experience. As
a Director of a residence life office I can sometimes get myself too involved
in working through the latest roommate conflict that was passed my way from the
President’s Office or wrapped up in the drama of some debate over a budget
item, but in the end sitting there and watching students cheer for one another
as their peers are recognized for their work is a concrete reminder that as
Director I may see examples where things are not working, but when taking time
to really look at what the staff of Residence Life and the students of the
Residence Hall Association are doing it is obvious that the successes far
outweigh any failures.
I applaud the many successes of the staff of the Office of
Residence Life and the students of the Residence Hall Association; you helped
remind me why I enjoy my career choice so much.
Staff member of the year from each
Residence Hall:
Merick - Tracy
Shelmire
West - Kyle
Joseph Smith
North - Wayne
Dierker
East - Aaron
Griffing
Dearmont -
Michael Walker
South - Morgan
Grothaus.
Myers – Garrett
Downing
Vanderson- Leah
Denby
Cheney – Lydia
Holland
Greek Area - Heather Lamplough
Residence Hall Association
Awards:
Hall Council of the Year: Dearmont Hall
First Year Student of the Year: Wesley King, Dearmont Hall
RA of the Year: Wayne Dierker
Program of the Year: “DIY” program in Towers East by Chelsie Grothaus
Hall Council Member of the Year: John Lehmann, from the Greek Area
Hall Director of the Year: Heather Brake
NRHH Awards:
Christine Nye Commitment to Scholastics: Brad Beran, Towers North
Kerry Wallaert Commitment to Service: Nick Maddock, Towers North
Bruce Skinner Commitment to Leadership: Zachery Delos Santos, Greek K
Kendra Skinner Commitment to Recognition: Raphael Pelanard, Towers East
Sheila E. Pinckney Commitment to NRHH: Sarah Madden, Myers Hall
