SSU resident assistant works to make other students feel at home on campus

Callista Link knew she wanted to be involved on Shawnee State University’s campus. Following in her sister’s footsteps to attend the university, Link, from Norwalk, Ohio, had always heard her sister talking about all the activities and clubs she was involved in at SSU.

Link is now a Senior Resident Assistant (RA) on campus for the Office of Housing & Residence Life.

“Being an RA means building a community for the residents living on campus,” she said. “That could be by planning a fun building event for them to attend or being a great resource for them to help answer questions or address concerns they may have.”

As an RA, Link is responsible for managing her building of residents by answering questions, writing roommate agreements and working with other individuals to create and execute plans and events.

“I have gained and strengthened a lot of my leadership skills and learned how to collaborate with peers and supervisors to make sure that we are doing our best,” she said.

As an RA, Link’s favorite moment so far has been participating in move-in weekend, more commonly known as Weekend of Welcome. While it can be chaotic during that time, it’s also the first chance RAs get to assume their role and become a campus leader. They have the opportunity to meet their building’s residents for the first time and start the semester on a positive note.

“The role of an RA allows me to help make Shawnee feel like my residents’ home away from home,” she said.

In addition to being an RA, Link is also involved as a leader of Delight Ministries, the President of Rotaract, the Club Coordinator of the Student Government Association and as a member of the Honors Program. While balancing all of these tasks can be difficult while also being an RA, she encourages other students to consider if they would be a good fit for the position.

“It takes time management, organization and discipline, but the job experience has so many benefits that the extra commitment can be worthwhile,” she said. “Someone should be an RA if they want to be more involved in building a sense of community on campus, making professional connections and working with other dedicated and driven individuals.”

To learn more about Resident Assistants and the Office of Housing & Residence Life at Shawnee State University, visit www.shawnee.edu/housing.