I have two cousins that are resident assistants at different universities and they have always encouraged me to think about applying for the position. When the application opened up to be an RA in the spring semester of 2017, I jumped on the opportunity. After going through the selection process and anxiously waiting for my letter from housing to arrive, I finally received the notification that I got the position.

I was so excited yet terrified all at the same time. I was excited to experience the RA life, but I was also terrified because I didn’t know what to expect going into this position.

The first month of being an RA really allowed me to get out of my shell and grow genuine relationships with my residents. We all went to different university events and building events, and we were able to build a positive community within our hall. Throughout the semester, I was able to go get lunch, walk around campus, go to different events and much more with my residents to grow a better relationship with them. Being an RA has helped me grow personal relationships with amazing and diverse people that I never would have met outside this job.

After gaining experience as an RA from my first semester, I was excited to start the next semester. I knew what to expect this time and was able to plan some programs that I did not get the chance to do the previous semester. We have done several different activities like doing different do-it-yourself projects, getting together for game nights and food and even driving an hour away to go hiking.

Becoming a RA has allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and experience new things throughout the year of having this position. It has been something that I really enjoy doing and it has allowed me to do things that I never would have gotten the chance to do if I decided not to apply for this job a year ago. If you ever had considerations about this job, I would highly recommend applying.

Courtney Gore is an education junior.