The Achievements of Proper Peer Education by John

The Achievements of Proper Peer Education by John - August 2023 Scholarship Essay

From cleaning vomit on my birthday at 1:00am, to getting calls from residents years beyond their time as my resident. These are just some of the joys of the Resident Assistant role. In all seriousness, the position on campus has allowed for the creation of numerous connections and seeing the growth within my residents has been the most rewarding experience in my college journey. As a resident assistant, my responsibilities include not only late-night duty rounds through the halls shown in movies, but also fostering inclusive communities that produce academic and social personal growth that leaves a lasting impact on the communities of the residence halls, and in turn creating a better community in the greater world around us.
Within my community in Butterfield are students from any and almost every academic college/field of study. It is my responsibility to facilitate activities and discussions within the hall to bring others together that may have otherwise never crossed paths. Typically, I enjoy polling residents as to the classes they may be taking, and framing common classes that students may be taking simultaneously, which has led to study groups being formed within the floor for classes like Calculus 2 and Macroeconomics. As I leave my door open to invite connections with residents when I am present on the floor, sometimes to my demise, residents loved to stop by for help with homework or applications. Sometimes our discussions would span hours at a time, covering a range of topics and academic materials. These connections allowed for students to achieve the grades necessary for many to ascend from academic probation from the year anteceding their time on my floor. I also noted a grand development in the utilization of study rooms and group rooms from the entry into the hall in August to the end of the year.
As students increase their academic diligence in the respective studies, networking with professors, academic advisors, and program coordinators can truly boaster the range of educational opportunities from a standard experience. I have brought residents to education abroad seminars and informational sessions, connected many to professors within their fields, also within the Student Life & Engagement team at Michigan State University to elevate their applications to the Inter-Cultural Aide and Resident Assistant programs. My favorite networking opportunity is connecting residents with future professors for classes they will have in the near or far future. Connecting many with a professor that I had for Law and Economics that also facilitated the study abroad for Economics in London, which many of my students attended this past summer.
Furthermore, the relationships formed within university have the potential to transcend the time spent at an institution of higher learning. Every resident I encounter I begin to map with others in the building and across campus, developing extensive sociograms resulting in residents going on to live with one-another outside of the residence halls, and continuing formed programs like study groups on campus. In addition, through the aforementioned efforts, residents have increased focus in studies, continued and contributed to the communities formed in the residential hall, and secured affluent networks with programs on campus. It is always a blessing to receive numerous phone messages and calls detailing resident’s experiences beyond their time as my resident. I have also seen numerous residents go on to fill the role I served for them, working with nearly ten previous residents within my own neighborhood. I truly enjoy seeing my residents succeed in every facet and continue to use the motto year to year of ‘once my resident, always my resident’, symbolizing my endless dedication for the peers of my floors.
Not many individuals receive the opportunity to be a leader and educator of peers. This opportunity as a Resident Assistant developed my character into one capable of guiding those around me in a more sophisticated, wise, manner generating many topics of discussion and traits to include in a resume to demonstrate the preparedness to enter the career field beyond University; fully equipped for supervisor responsibilities upon entry with tangible experience in the field of community engaging, peer education, and personal development facilitation. Currently, this experience has succeeded in procuring opportunities to serve as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant for multiple classes from Biology to Statistics, as well as considerations for Site Leader positions for Education Abroad opportunities and career positions in leadership roles. If you are considering putting your hat in the ring for the position, and you truly enjoy enabling peers to achieve greater success, I highly encourage applying. The growth you will see not only within your residents, but also personally, truly cracks the barrier into the level of attrition and other qualities heavily sought after in the job market today.