My story

Talkative, outgoing, and highly energetic.

These are three things that hardly describe me. Growing up, the words ‘introvert’ and ‘leader’ were not anywhere close to being synonymous in my eyes. To me, leaders were the kinds of people who spoke first and for the longest, who had constant enthusiasm, and whose favorite hobby was social interaction. Being the introverted person that I have always been, there were only a few times when I was younger at which I felt as though “leadership positions” were a good fit for me.  

During my sophomore year was when I had first considered applying to become a Resident Assistant. 

However, I was under the belief that my introverted personality did not match the stereotypical image of an extroverted RA, so I turned to my Assistant Hall Director, Marissa, for assistance. I would ask, “Are people like me meant for Residence Life?” and each time she would respond with a big “YES!”  It took quite a bit of convincing for me, but Marissa was persistent on insisting that Res Life is in need of people who choose to listen over talk and who bring a calming-type of energy just as much as they need the high-energy, ‘let’s have a 24/7 dance party’ type of people.  Even after applying and later being hired, I was still concerned that I was not extroverted enough for the position. However, I quickly found out that I was mistaken. 

UWL’s Residence Life has made me truly believe for the first time that you can be an introvert and a leader. 

The acceptance of differing personality types that I have observed from Res Life has given me the confidence to pursue what I truly want, despite maybe not seeming like the “perfect fit” for it. And it has definitely paid off. My involvement through my RA position has helped me come to the decision to pursue a future career in Student Affairs, specifically starting out in a Residence Life Department. So as I prepare to go into my fourth and final year at UWL, I can say that I now have more self-confidence and a newly found passion largely thanks to Res Life. In addition to the free room & board, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal. 

-Laura Drake, Interpersonal Communication Major, Resident Assistant - Reuter Hall University of Wisconsin-La Crosse