Strong leaders have a profound impact and inspire people to make a difference in the lives of others. For the current class of CMC resident assistants (RAs), their own RAs played a range of impactful leadership roles: mentor, friend, and big brother or sister to name a few.
“The RA role is an amalgamation of an older sibling, camp counselor, and friend,” Sam Peterson ’18 said. “We strive to build the inclusive residential communities we value at CMC, while being a support system for students outside the classroom.”
College is one of life’s great adventures, and sometimes students - new students in particular - need guidance to navigate through their four years on campus. For many of the new RAs, the RAs they had in their first few years at the College helped them have a positive experience on campus, and now they want to return the favor to fellow CMC students.
“During my first three years at CMC, I developed a great respect for the RA position,” said Kendrick Morris ’18. “My RAs in both Berger and Crown Hall did a fantastic job of fostering a positive, safe, and inclusive culture in which I thrived as a CMC student. They were constantly setting an example by keeping a literal open door and maintaining a positive attitude, even when midterms and job applications rolled along.”
Christina Yoh ’18 added, “I stepped foot in America for the first time three years ago. Moving across the world from Singapore could've been a drastic and stressful change if it weren't for the people I met in my first year - my roommate, sponsors/FYGs, RA. It is the friends and community at CMC that made my transition smooth and the past three years the most fun and rewarding time of my life. I wanted to become an RA to give back to the community and help others find a second home here like I did.”
To be an RA, students must either be entering their final year at CMC or be a junior in the 3/2 program. Those interested in becoming an RA go through an application process. Those selected then go through two important, mandatory training periods: one over spring break and one in the weeks leading up to the new school year.
All told, there are 21 resident assistants this year on campus with the goal in mind of doing their part to build a stronger CMC community. They began their term of employment in March of 2017 and their tenure runs through March 18, 2018.
Since August 11, CMC’s newest group of RAs have been going through comprehensive training, from sessions on community building and inclusivity to campus safety and dorm programming. And of course the RAs play an important role in welcoming the new students on campus during orientation.
“My primary role as an RA is to foster and build a community within the dorm. I am here to be a friendly face, and support other students when they need advice or just someone to hang out with,” Becky Monroy ’19 said. “As an RA, I am also responsible for making sure that people around campus are safe, and that our communal spaces remain accessible.”
With the fall semester here and students on campus, this year’s group of resident assistants has its turn to fulfill a mentorship role and positively influence the live of CMC students just as previous RAs had done for them.
“Many things compelled me to apply for an RA position,” Shelbi Stein ’18 said. “The two that carried the most weight was my extremely positive experience with my freshman year RA in Wohlford, Tess, who was instrumental in helping me adjust to college, and a desire to give back to a community that has given me and continues to give me so much.”