With RA applications opening soon for next year, it only made sense to sit down with one of the most enthusiastic RA’s of Alumni Hall to discuss what it’s like to be such an important part of first year residence students’ lives.
Meet Kayla Bacon: RA of the south side of Alumni Hall’s second floor, a second year student at the university, and a dedicated sorority sister of Delta Alpha Theta.
Why did you decide to become an RA?
I have worked at a camp for many years, and I love working with kids and being a leader and being able to help people. So, when I joined the university, I couldn’t work at the camp anymore, so I wanted this opportunity to still be able to work with people that are younger than me, help their first year be smoother, make it more fun for them… So I guess I just wanted to be there for the students and make their first year the best!
What’s your favourite part about being an RA?
I will always say my students. I have been really lucky that I have amazing students and an amazing community on my floor and they make this job worth it every day.
What would you say is the most challenging part of being an RA?
Paperwork! I am really bad with paperwork and there is quite a bit of it.
Any particularly memorable moments from this year so far in Alumni Hall?
Probably… In frosh week alone, I had a couple students come talk to me one-on-one, and having students reach out to you from the very beginning has always been a very important part. It means that they feel that they can trust me, that they can connect with me. So, any one-on-one that a student reaches out to me for is always very memorable.
Are you involved in any other clubs or associations on campus? Which ones?
Yup! I’m involved with a sorority named Delta Alpha Theta. That’s a big part of everything.
What do you like about being in the sorority?
Being in the sorority… I’m in a program that only has twenty-three people in it, so it’s very small, and I love them, but I love having a big friend group, so by joining the sorority I instantly had all these sisters that I could depend on. They are in all different programs, they all have different skills and you just always have someone to reach out to, someone to depend on; it’s just this close-knit family that you just instantly have.
Would you recommend becoming an RA or joining a sorority? Why or why not?
Definitely! I would recommend becoming an RA for people who are especially involved in residence life and people who are leaders. Even quiet leaders: you don’t have to be enthusiastic to be an RA. Anyone who just feels they could really make a difference and that they want to be involved in students’ lives, definitely become an RA. It’s amazing. I definitely recommend sororities and fraternities as well. You get to be involved in your community, outside of just the university: you get to do philanthropy events, you get to learn fundraising, you get sisters. You get a really close-knit group of like a support system. Anybody who wants to reach out to their community as well, sororities are a really cool part of that.
Do you have any advice for any students who may be considering applying to be an RA for next year? What would you say is the most important thing for them to have going into the application process?
Um, over the application process… It’s a very long one, that’s for sure. It’s so important to be yourself, but to make sure that you’re putting yourself out there. They don’t expect you to be perfect: that’s what training is for in the summer! Just make sure that you’re really just getting to know the people because the RA staff is so kind and they’re so welcoming, and it’s just such a family and you always help each other out because nobody’s the “perfect RA”. So, it’s just super important to be yourself and make sure that you show your skills and help other people out and just be open to change, because being RA is all about being open and being welcoming to everybody.
There you have it, collegiettes! If you think you would fit what the RA staff is looking for, make sure you get your application in as soon as you can once they open on December 1st.