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

My name is Amanda Abrahamson, 

I am in my second year as a Hall Director at UWL. The reason I came to UWL was the exact reason that I did not want to leave: the people are unlike any you have every had the opportunity to work with. I was an undergraduate student at UWL, and spent three out of my four years working as an RA in the Office of Residence Life. For the last eight years (as a student, when I was away, and now that I have been back) I have felt incredible valued by Residence Life at UWL. Every time I walk into the office I am greeted enthusiastically, and it is nearly impossible to come in and out without stopping to chat about everything and nothing. The people that work in Residence Life at UWL truly care about you not just as a professional, but as a person as well. It would be very out of character for me to not talk about one of the many great things that the department has incorporated into practice: the pet policy. I have always wanted a dog, and find great balance by having a dog in my life, and Residence Life at UWL recognizes the benefits that pets can provide for life in professional staff. Jack joined the UWL Residence Life family on October 1^st of 2015, and has become a point of pride for a lot of the residents of White Hall. Jack loves people and people love Jack, and it is nearly impossible to get across campus without students wanting to interact with him. People in the main office recognize how much I love Jack, and ask me often how he is doing and if he is enjoying his walks – this is just another example about how much the professional staff care.

The students at UWL are also incredible. They are motivated, responsible, academically focused, and very involved in many places. When our students have ideas (which is often) we encourage and support and help make their dreams come true. Last academic year a couple of RAs on campus came up to me and pitched an idea they were very excited about: Flick and Float. They wanted to show a movie in the pool on campus, and this is not a program that has happened on campus in quite some time, so there was no experience to draw from. All I had to do was order the movie and show up because the students helping were so incredible excited and motivated to put forth the work for a successful program. Our students also just want to spend time with you and get to know you. There is never a long stretch of time that I am alone in my office, because students are always popping in for a couple minutes or a couple hours to hang out. These are just a few of the many reasons that I think the students at UWL are so special.

UWL and the Office of Residence Life has been my home for the last six of eight years. I love this place and I love the people here. If you are looking for a place that will give you the support you need as a professional, the freedom to find your professional identity, and the students to make your experience unforgettable, consider UWL!