Starting at the very beginning with the recruitment process...

I felt cared for and valued by the professionals in Residence Life at UWL. I chose to join the Residence Life team at UWL because I felt like everyone really took the time to get to know me during the recruitment process. I knew that they cared about me as an individual person and valued what I could bring to Residence Life. 

I felt seen, heard, and validated in every step of the process. I remember that my graduate supervisor Chris came into my office after completing a reference check phone call for me with Patrick Heise. Chris was so excited about UWL and said that after the reference call with Patrick, he knew that Residence Life was going to take care of me and that I would be a good fit there. This has been so true. I feel cared for and valued here. I feel like people care about my opinion and trust my ability to do my job.

UWL has helped me grow personally and professionally in so many ways. I’ve always been a little shy in larger groups and have a hard time sharing my thoughts. In the past year and three months at here, I’ve found my voice and have been able to share my thoughts and feelings with everyone in Residence Life in different settings. I know that people listen to me and want to hear what I have to say. I feel that I’ve come into my own and am more confident in sharing my thoughts and opinions with other professionals in the department. I have had so many opportunities to take on new things in my first professional role. The professional trust and autonomy that I’m given at UWL are incredible. I know that I was hired for a reason and that I am trusted to fulfill my role as a Hall Director.

Not only do the professional staff members at UWL make me feel valued and appreciated, but the students are also wonderful at making me feel like I am an important part of Residence Life. My students are the reason I continue to love my job and to love UWL. Everyone said that the students were wonderful when I interviewed, but I did not understand the magnitude of that until I started working on campus. My students are compassionate, caring, and motivated individuals, who are making real differences in the lives of their students every day. 

I am constantly impressed with the time and dedication they put into their positions. They care and give of their time and are always looking for ways to improve Residence Life and UWL. I know that they care about my well being and who I am as a person as much as they care about their residents. Last year, my staff and students threw a surprise birthday party for me, complete with two ice cream cakes, presents, and a good number of residents standing in front of Sanford Hall to sing to me when I got back from dinner. I felt an overwhelming amount of love and appreciation for my staff and students. This represents UWL Residence Life and the University overall to me. An outpouring of love and support from the students who live and work here for someone else. I saw my staff and students show this kind of love and support to each other all of last year and have seen it this year as well.

The La Crosse community is also a wonderful place. The natural beauty of La Crosse has turned me into an outdoorsy person, when I have never been one before. I love the bluffs and the Mississippi, and generally spend more time outside now than I ever have before in my life. La Crosse has an incredible public library, where I spend a lot of my free time, volunteering and checking out some amazing books. I also enjoy drinking great cups of coffee in so many of the coffee shops in La Crosse. Overall, the city and UWL Residence Life have been wonderful places for me to live, work, and grow. I love it here!


-Theresa Luensmann