While finishing my bachelor's degree, I knew I wanted to work with people in a way that supported their growth and success. At first, I thought that might be through a human resources role, but through internships and my involvement in student leadership, I realized higher education and student affairs felt much more natural to me.

I was an RA for three years and involved in organizations like RHA, NRHH, and SGA, which gave me opportunities to mentor others, build community, and support students through challenges. Those experiences helped me realize how meaningful this work could be.

I am not sure I would find the same fulfillment working in the corporate world behind a desk. Being able to work alongside students during such an important time in their lives and contribute to their success is what drew me to higher education and what continues to keep me here.

Over the years, my role has become much more about balancing the needs of students with the operational realities of the institution. Early in my career, I saw my work primarily as supporting students and creating positive residential experiences. While that is still at the heart of what I do, I now recognize that effective student advocacy also requires understanding budgets, compliance requirements, risk management, and institutional priorities.

Student needs and expectations have changed, and my approach has had to evolve alongside them. This has meant advocating for residence hall updates, revising policies to better reflect the needs of today's student population, adapting how we train and supervise RAs based on generational differences, and ensuring our practices are inclusive and responsive. Through my roles in residence life, community standards, and compliance, I often serve as the bridge between administrative decision-making and the student experience, working to find solutions that support both student success and institutional sustainability.

I have grown from being someone who focused primarily on helping individual students solve immediate problems to someone who thinks more strategically about the systems and structures that shape the student experience. What drove that change was realizing that while supporting one student at a time is important, improving policies, processes, and campus partnerships can positively impact hundreds of students. Leadership roles, institutional transitions, and my doctoral studies have all challenged me to broaden my perspective while staying grounded in why I entered this profession in the first place: supporting student success.

We are often the people who see students holistically. We work every day to understand their why, their background, their struggles, their excitement, and what will help them be successful. We build relationships that allow us to provide mentorship, advice, a listening ear, and be a cheerleader in whatever corner of campus they find themselves. While a lot of this work happens behind the scenes, those relationships are often what help students persist, find belonging, and ultimately succeed. When students are successful, institutions are successful, and staff play a vital role in making that happen.

Do you have a colleague who is doing impactful work on a college campus? I’d love to connect and highlight their work!