Lauren Guzikowski

I feel so valued as a student staff member. Over the course of the last two and a half months, I have made so many connections across campus. Every time I go into ORL, the lovely receptionists Carol and Michelle know me by name, as well as many of the other Central Staff members. When I am walking around campus, I would feel comfortable saying hello to and having a conversation with all of the Pro Staff.

Res Life has allowed me to be more aware as a college student. There were so many issues I was blind to before I got educated about them in Res Life. Something we have been talking about recently is the Inclusive Negligence video and how we can make ALL of our students who live in our residence halls feel welcome and safe. I am able to appreciate and celebrate our differences as a diverse community, but not be ignorant to them. One of the most interesting topics I continue to learn about this year is the idea of different identities. Not only does this include gender, but also ability, race, religion, political views, among many other things. I have had so many opportunities to work with my staff team and discuss some of the different identities we carry with us every day, and how each human is different in their personal identities. Some identities we seldom think about, may be someone else’s main identity that they feel occupies the largest part of them.

Being a Desk Coordinator has been one of the most amazing experiences I have had. I believe I am a natural born leader, and this was the perfect step for me to take in my leadership career. Having the opportunity to be a supervisor to 16 other college students is a very unique role to have. I am learning many valuable lessons many people do not have the chance to learn until they are well into their professional career. Not only do I get to work with my desk team, but I also have an amazing team of student staff members, and also the community in which I live. I get to live in an all-freshman community, which is so awesome. They really utilize both our RA, Kara and me as resources whenever they need something. The chances I have to bond with so many people in my building, and all across campus is so special, and something I definitely value so much. I get the opportunity to converse with so many residents and their friends on a daily basis about their lives or things they are struggling with. Being a student staff member has taught me many things and I will forever be thankful for my time with Res Life here at UWL.