#HonorsProblems: Honors RA Life

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Mark, an SMPA junior studying political communication.
It was a bristling cold afternoon on February 10^th, 2017, and I was coming out of the Honors townhouse after having a paper I had written torn apart by a professor I was meeting with (with good reason, I might add). I had known that an email from the GW Center for Student Engagement would be coming at some point that day with Resident Advisor (RA) decisions, but I had no idea when it would be. After biting my nails all day, the email finally dropped at 4:57 p.m. I was selected as an RA and would be placed in the Honors community in West Hall. When I read it, I was standing right outside the townhouse in between the two benches. My shivering self-leaped for joy. Unfortunately, that was the same night that I contracted bronchitis and had to go to the hospital, so it was a largely difficult day spotted with an incredibly happy moment.
I was certainly looking forward to being an RA for Honors, but I never expected it to be quite as amazing as it was. I had the most kind and engaged residents anyone could have ever asked for. I got to have deep conversations, hear corny jokes, engage in funny hallway conversations, be a romantic matchmaker, feed people, and help people figure out their schedules and their lives. I was probably better at helping my residents figure out their problems than I was at figuring out my own, but don’t tell anybody that.

I was so proud of the people I watched my residents grow into over the course of the year. I saw them learn profound truths about themselves, learn how to be in relationships with others, and take steps to advance confidently in the direction of my dreams. I was especially proud of the five of my residents who became RAs this year and are making a positive impact on their communities. I also had the greatest team in the world, between my amazing floor partner Kate Jones, my outstanding faculty-in-residence Mark Ralkowski and residence hall dog Lola, and the rest of the RAs on the Mount Vernon team.
I remember my time as an RA for Honors students as a time where I learned what a strong and empowering community really looked like. I remember the amazing surprise party that Kate and the residents threw for me in the West Hall Common Room on my 20^th birthday. I remember the spontaneous cooking events my residents would hold in our kitchen and the pizza and taco events we would have in the hall. Like any community, it wasn’t always perfect… people went through issues and we had to work out some problems. But ultimately, I am so grateful to have lived in a place where love took me in, and where I learned as much from my residents as they did from me.
Applications to be a Resident Advisor for the 2019-2020 academic year are due Thursday, November 15th. Learn more here.