Career Portfolio
Career Portfolio
Personal Statement
As a resident in a smaller residence hall (Haley Hall) for two years, I was privileged to develop stronger relationships with my RA’s. This was a personal benefit because they were able to get to know me on a more individual basis and better help me with my transition as an out of state college freshman. Each of my RA’s different personalities helped me with different struggles I faced throughout my freshman and sophomore year. One kept me motivated when the stress overwhelmed me and I wanted to quit school altogether. Another was always there when I needed help figuring out who I really was as a person and when I was struggling with certain life decisions. Also, I was fortunate enough that another one of my RA’s was in my major, therefore she could always give me an hand with classes, how to handle the course load my major requires, which instructors to choose, and other career paths within my major. All of my RA’s helped me flourish in my first two years and without them I do not think I could have been as successful in my endeavors. These close relationships sparked the desire to be a resident assistant.
I decided I would love to promote a sense of belonging and be able to instill confidence in my residents, making them feel at home even in the most difficult situations. I am a firm believer that feeling comfortable in your “home away from home” can make your freshman year and college experience a more positive one. I love helping people and giving them the best advice I have to offer. Especially in this college atmosphere I wish to help students so they do not make the same mistakes I have and make better choices.
Fall 2014 was my first semester as a resident assistant and in helping my residents, I learned more about myself and what I am capable of. I believe that being a resident assistant is not solely about helping your residents; this job permits self-exploration and insight into the type of person you are. This job has helped me grow immensely and academically; this semester was the best I have performed at this institution. This job requires you to think on your feet because you are dealing with hundreds of people with different personalities, backgrounds, and life circumstances. Although we are given rules and protocol for how to handle specific issues, not every occurrence goes exactly how we are taught in training. This means some quick judgment and rational thinking must be used.
This semester helped me realize I am good at keeping people calm and helping people think rationally about the decisions they want to make. However, I don’t do well with opposition, which as an RA I have seen a lot of, especially since we deal with students the same age as we are and who are very self-assertive. As the months have passed, I found it easier to simply not argue or worry about the opposition because it was not my place to be combative with my residents. One of the biggest hurdles I wanted to surpass this semester was my lack of time management skills. Procrastination is one of my greater shortcomings, but being an RA, a junior, and being a member of multiple organizations, I realized my time would need to be allocated wisely. This job allowed for the perfect opportunity to better my skills because of the deadlines and time constraints for the job requirements coupled with my other responsibilities. One of the biggest differences this position has made within me is how I handle multiple tasks, has helped me establish better time management skills, and strengthened my communication skills.
After graduation, I would like to attend veterinary school and become a doctor of veterinary medicine. Being a resident assistant is helping me achieve these goals; the biggest benefit of this job for me personally is the pertinence of time management skills. Without them, I will not succeed in vet school due to the extreme time requirement and discipline it requires. Also, having a staff that I need to communicate and cooperate, helps with my interpersonal skills, which I will be able to use when dealing with future patients’ owners. As previously stated, this job requires me to think on my feet and this skill will help immensely in my field because nothing about it is routine, each case and situation is different. Lastly, the RA position requires that one thinks objectively, separating personal opinions and feelings to solve an issue, which is exactly what I will need to do when diagnosing and treating the animals I come into contact with.
Knowing the connections I have made with my residents, seeing some of the ways I was able to help them, inform them about this institution, and how to survive and retain their sanity is what keeps me excited about my job and my role as a resident assistant. This semester my main goal was to get to know my residents, make them feel at home; specifically for my freshman I tried to help them feel comfortable away from home for the first time. For the spring semester I would like to help my residents prepare for the rest of their college careers by aiding them in their decisions for future housing, classes, organizations, and social life. Also, I would like to help my residents by allowing for reflection upon their previous semester at A&T and figuring out their mistakes, successes, and how to use those experiences to be a better student and person in the coming years. I am excited to see both myself and my residents grow as the time passes.