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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Winona chapter.

This year I am an RA and how I became one was by chance; I decided to apply and see if I would get it or not. Though I did not get hired right away, the Friday before spring break last year I got an email saying that they would like to hire me. I was so excited about this opportunity and my RA at the time was excited for me.

This is for my residents: you are truly one-of-a-kind and I am thankful for that every day.

Some Floor Government members and me at the 2016 NRHH Recognition Banquet

 

Dear Residents,

Let me start out by saying that you are such an amazing group of people; I have no idea how I got so lucky! The days leading up to move-in day were some of the longest, most worrisome days of my life. I was nervous but excited to meet each and every one of you. One of my biggest fears was that I was going to get a floor that was going to be way too crazy and would not get along with me, but you have proven me wrong, and I am forever grateful for that (though you can get a little too crazy for me!).

In between hiding my phone from me in the first month of school to crashing my open door hours and eating all my candy, you have made my job interesting. Every. Single. Day. And I, believe it or not, thank you for that. Thank you for always keeping me on my toes, but also for giving me my space when you know I need it. You are the type of residents that an RA wishes and hopes for, and I realize that more and more every day.

You have grown up so much from when you first arrived on that fateful day called “move-in day.” You may not realize it, but you have learned so much about yourselves and you will continue to as you go through college. My wish for you is that you have the time of your life in college and try everything that interests you and make friends that last a lifetime.

I sometimes think that I am the one teaching you everything, but the reality is that you have taught me so many things in return. You have taught ME to grow up and branch out of my comfort zone. You have taught ME to not just “talk-the-talk” but to also “walk-the-walk” (aka, you are making me follow through on what I say to you and making sure I actually do it in my own life). It seems that you are teaching me more than I am teaching you, which is not a bad thing.

Being your RA has been one of the toughest but also one of the best semesters of my college career so far, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Thank you for sticking it out with me the first semester and being my “guinea pig” residents– you have been truly a blessing in disguise.

 

I am excited to see where second semester takes us.

 

Sincerely,

Your 1st year RA

Linsey Taylor

Winona '18

Meet Linsey Taylor, one of the campus correspondents for the Winona State Her Campus chapter. Linsey is a senior majoring in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in psychology and hopes to become a child life specialist with her degree. In her free time, Linsey enjoys reading, watching Netflix, and hanging out with friends and family.
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Meet our Campus Correspondent Mariah Mrotek! Originally from Racine, Mariah is a Mass Communication Advertising major with a Professional Writing Minor. You can usually catch Mariah loving up the cats at the local Winona Area Humane Society or getting her last minute shopping fix at Target. She is an avid writer and believer in the power of intuition. As an advocate for the Minnesota Epilepsy Foundation, she strives for change. She really enjoys the fall season and the amazing honeycrisp apples it brings. Her ideal place to vacation at is a cabin up north by the lake. Mariah hopes to continue to see and enjoy the world’s beauty after graduation as she pursues a career in Social Media Content Management or Project Management.