October 27, 2021
For Senior Resident Assistant Cassidy Collins, Shawnee State University has become a second home. The Resident Assistant (RA) program at SSU consists of a group of upperclassmen students who oversee on-campus residents and assist the office of Housing & Residence Life with tasks and student-related needs. A senior serving in her second year in the program, Collins has gained a specific skillset as an RA. Preparing her for her professional career, the program has also helped her develop as an individual.
“It has taught me more about building a team and working with others,” she said. “Shawnee’s RAs have diverse backgrounds, different personalities, and different work styles. It is so beneficial for me because my training lines up perfectly for what I want to do for my career after graduation.”
At SSU, Collins is a business management major with a minor in political science and hopes to become a campaign manager in the future. This would require her to apply her skills she has developed through being an RA and now serving in the Senior RA position.
“As a campaign manager, I will have to build a team, train them, and use good communication skills – being an RA has helped me feel more prepared to do that,” she said. “The RA position assigns you to a building of residents who you have to oversee by yourself or with another RA. A Senior RA has to oversee their residents while also training and coaching the other RAs. I am also the head of the Selection Committee which requires me to be in charge of the RA hiring and selection process.”
Collins has enjoyed her time at SSU while being an RA. The position provides students working in the program with free meal plans and free room and board in the on-campus apartment-style housing units. RAs also get a paycheck biweekly for their efforts while assisting in other offices throughout the week.
“I fell in love with Shawnee State as soon as I came here,” she said. “I love being on the river and how beautiful campus is. Being an RA has been so fun and I have made so many friends I would not have met otherwise. My favorite memory as an RA was doing a building event where we made s’mores and played games. There is just always something to do and ways to get involved when you’re an RA.”
Both on-campus students and commuters at SSU can become RAs. The Office of Housing & Residence Life will host RA information sessions later in the autumn semester for students interested in applying for the position for the next academic year.
To learn more about Housing & Residence Life and the Resident Assistant program at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/housing.