Name: Bennett Gosiker
Major: Microbiology and cell science
Year: Senior
Bennett Gosiker has a common theme with his involvement at UF: He loves helping the student body. As a Campus Diplomat and previous Preview Staffer, he has served the Dean of Students Office in many ways that have all impacted his college experience. Her Campus UFL recently sat down with Bennett to ask him a few questions.
HerCampus (HC): What initially made you want to get involved with the Dean of Students Office (DSO)?
Bennett Gosiker (BG): At the beginning of my sophomore year, I began working as a leader for an Honors Program retreat called H-Camp. The retreat was held the weekend before the first week of the semester and was meant to help new students with their transition to UF. I came to realize the importance of developing a support system early on and went on to identify the Preview Staff as an ideal opportunity to interact with new students during a time when guidance and structure is crucial. This became my first involvement with the Dean of Students Office, and I ended up serving as a Preview Staffer during the summer of 2015. From there, it was obvious in my mind that I wanted to continue working with the Dean of Students Office in a different capacity.
HC: What roles have you served within the DSO during your years at UF?
BG: Preview Staff 2015, Campus Diplomats New Student and Family Programs Liaison, Campus Diplomats Executive Board – Director of Outreach
HC: How have you seen the DSO grow over the years?
BG: The aspect of the DSO that I love the most is how dynamic it is. The administrators in the Division of Student Affairs, and the DSO, specifically, all deeply care for the needs of students on campus. They listen to concerns, develop a service to accommodate the gap and execute it in a manner that is accessible for every student. This has been abundantly evident in the few years that I have been in contact with the office. Since my first year at UF, the DSO has spearheaded the development of Newell Hall into a student space, the Gator Career Closet, as well as the Field and Fork Pantry. While all of this new development was happening, they continued to expand their services in each of the other offices to accommodate for the needs of the student body. It’s absolutely amazing when you consider everything that the DSO does and how it has grown to accommodate over 50,000 Gators. Not only has the office itself expanded to offer new services to students, but they have recentered their focus and brought it directly to the student.
HC: In addition to your work for the DSO, you are a sociology and microbiology double major on the pre-med track. What are your tips for balancing a heavy workload with outside involvement?
BG: I think that the core factor in balancing my involvement with academics is that I really do enjoy everything that I do and have done. None of my time is dedicated to courses or involvement that are “resume building.” I WANT to get up three days a week to go to my Virology course, I LOVE going to weekly Campus Diplomats meetings to develop our involvement with the DSO, and I thoroughly enjoy going into my research lab each day to learn more and expand my perspective in a biomedical context. This is the key – enjoying what I do. It’s sometimes difficult if major commitments overlap, but I’m always cognizant of the need to plan ahead so as to minimize my stress. It’s a lot to keep track of, but when you enjoy what you’re doing then it becomes exponentially less stressful. So, for the first-year student out there who may not be enjoying gen-ed coursework, push through. Once you study what you love, it’s worth it. You just have to jump through the hoops on the front end.
HC: What has been your favorite memory of working within student affairs?
BG: I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with the Dean of Students Office for almost three years, and every event or endeavor has been so distinctly unique. I don’t think that there is one individual moment that I have cherished, but rather the continuous feeling of support and inclusion that the Division of Student Affairs and DSO exude. As ambassadors to the office, we are constantly supported in everything that we do. The administration has full trust in their student leaders and trains us to hold similar sentiments to their own. As a Preview Staffer, I worked under Mickey Howard, the Associate Director of NSFP (New Student and Family Programs), and as a Campus Diplomat, I have worked under the supervision of Dr. Anthony DeSantis, the Associate Dean of Students. Both men have genuinely impacted my life in the inclusive leadership skills that have (been) passed down to (me). Altogether, my favorite memory would have to be the people’s whose paths I have been lucky enough to cross. From my students during my summer as a Staffer, to the administration within the office itself, I have been positively impacted in ways that I will carry forward after I leave the University of Florida.
HC: How has working within student affairs had an impact on your college experience and future career?
BG: My involvement with the Dean of Students Office has effectively transformed my view of leadership. Leadership isn’t being known by the most people, it isn’t the ability of being able to instruct others on what to do, and it isn’t having the loudest voice or most weighted say. Leadership is an ability to serve those around you and cater the environment to their needs; it’s an unrivaled commitment to equality in every form, and it’s a fierce support of inclusivity. This is among one of the core lessons I have picked up over the years and it has shifted how I approach working in a team and leading any group. The office itself has served as my niche on a college campus of upwards of 50,000–serving as a refuge from the stressors of school. It’s allowed me to channel my passions into tangible change on campus and has taught me some invaluable lessons along the way. It’s difficult to summarize what the Dean of Students Office has given to me, but one word seems to fit the bill: home.
Photo Credit: Bennett Gosiker