A look into the life of resident assistants, the Hill’s role models

James Luby was going to drop out of UCLA, concerned that the theater program was not a good fit. Still a first-year, he was already applying to other schools when he talked with his resident assistant, who told him to slow down.

The RA helped Luby, now a second-year anthropology student, change his major and realize that UCLA was the place for him.

“(He) was amazing, great for residents,” Luby said.

This RA made a deep impression on Luby, who has now applied to become an RA himself.

But the process is competitive. Last year, between 300 and 400 RA applications were submitted, of which only 80 were accepted, said Crystal Prag, an RA and third-year communication studies student.

Applications for next year were due at the end of fall quarter, and applicants are currently being reviewed by the Office of Residential Life staff.

ORL is looking for candidates who will act as role models for their residents. They must also be able to work in teams, and should be committed to organizing floor activities, said Susan Swarts, associate director of ORL Human Resources.

For Prag, it’s about building a “home away from home.”

Prag is an RA in De Neve’s Acacia-Birch building. But getting that opportunity wasn’t easy.

Last year, the applicants were instructed to write four essays on topics that related to RA responsibilities. These essays had to be written in a way that would relate back to the applicant’s personal experiences, Prag said.

This year’s applicants only had to write one essay in addition to providing a resume, she added.

For residents, maintaining close relationships with the floor is one of the main criteria to judge effective RAs.

Elizabeth Franco, a Rieber Hall resident and first-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, said that for her, being able to talk to RAs is especially important.

Franco said she is thankful her RA helped her select classes and navigate URSA, a confusing task for some first-years.

Others cited simpler qualities that make the best RAs.

Good RAs have their doors open, said Audrey Vinant-Tang, a first-year environmental science student.

For Stephanie Hernandez, a second-year anthropology student and Rieber Hall resident, being an effective RA could be as easy as knowing the residents’ names.

Amanda Mundell became an RA this year after going through an initially tough time when she got to college.

Coming to a big university and living with a roommate she had never met before was an intimidating experience for Mundell, now a third-year neuroscience student.

“My freshman year, I felt that I didn’t know anyone,” she said.

During her second year, Mundell decided to become involved with floor government to help pull away from her comfort zone.

She enjoyed her work with the floor, and because of this, decided to apply to become an RA. She hasn’t looked back since.

Mundell said that being an RA on large floors, where students need to share facilities and often spend time in the hallways, increases the energy on the floor.

“I’ve had great conversations with residents about who they are and where they grew up,” Mundell said. “That’s very meaningful to me.”

RAs have to manage time well, balancing coursework and taking care of students, Mundell said.

Monday night, for example, she responded to an incident that took away from her study time for her chemistry midterm.

“It would have been nice to have had another hour to study, but they’re my residents, and I have to make sure they’re all right,” Mundell said.

Justin Yu, an RA in Rieber Hall and a fourth-year political science student, was involved in the Greek system before he became interested in floor leadership.

Yu joined a fraternity his freshman year and felt disconnected with his floor back at the dorm.

He applied to be his floor’s external vice president, which he said is where he got his first exposure to the Office of Residential Life. He enjoyed being involved with his fellow residents and applied to be an RA afterwards.

It is important that every RA has a sense of self-awareness and the ability to think quickly, Yu said.

For example, if a resident begins acting mentally unstable, an RA needs to know how to best approach that resident. If people have been drinking too much, an RA needs to know how to respond.

“Every situation will be different, and being able to adapt will help you a lot,” Yu said. “It’s a lot more than what you see on the surface.”