I would not be the person I am today if it were not for UWL and the ResLife Department.

I came to La Crosse by a series of happenstances.

I guess we can all say them same if you really take the time to think about it. I can’t tell you exactly how I heard about UW- La Crosse, or even how I came to be on a tour here, but I can tell you everything that happened after that with concerning detail. When people ask me why I chose UWL, I always ask them if they have seen the show ‘Say Yes to the Dress.’ Every time someone tries on the dress of their dreams, they have this moment where they start to tear up because they know that it’s the one. That’s how I felt coming on campus here, like I had found the one, like I had found home. There is no better way to describe how I ended up here other than to say it just felt right. And so my journey at UWL began, and as it comes to a close this May I cannot help but look back and be thankful for every moment I have been here.

                As a first year student, I felt like I desperately needed to find my place. 

          I wanted to have the amazing friends you always hear about making in college, the roommate that would be my best friend for life, and the memories that they say make these the best four years of your life. Some days I felt like I had it all, but looking back now I realize that I was a bit more lost than I realized at the time. I felt like I was going through the motions, hopelessly looking for a passion that I could make a career out of, something to major in, someone to be. I became a part of the front desk team, and that is the moment that sparked me wanting to be more involved as the years went on. The next year I kept my desk position, became the President of my hall, joined every committee I could be a part of, and really got my foot in the door of Residence Life. It was at the end of that year that I realized something important: I had been getting involved and joining things in an effort to find things or people I was passionate about. What I didn’t know at the time is that Residence Life and the students and professionals I got to work with is what I am passionate about.

I made a decision that, cliché as it may sound, has been one of the greatest of my life: I applied to be a student staff member.

                I know, I know. 

        That sounds like something they make you say when they want you to get your residents to apply for the next year, but I am not one for scripts. Over the course of my year as a Desk Coordinator, I met people and made memories that pushed me toward a career in Student Affairs, so I don’t take this stuff lightly, I can promise you that much. When I think about Residence Life at UWL, I think about friends, home, and a place where I feel I belong more than I ever have before. The support that I have here is indescribable, it was like I was walking into a room of old friends, even if they didn’t know me yet. 

That sounds so cheesy, I know, but I swear it’s true. I feel like I have finally found my place, and it breaks my heart to have to leave it so soon.

                I am currently going through my search for a graduate position that will help make me the professional I want to be.

        In every interview people ask me hard questions about what I know, what I can do, and what I have experienced; what I find is that I can answer each one with ease and confidence. That isn’t just based on me as a person, that is truly based on all of the wonderful work that I have done with Residence Life to make me the well-equipped candidate I am today. If you are looking for an opportunity to be better or make a change, there is not a person in this department who won’t try their hardest to help you get there. This is the kind of place where chances come to you because someone says, ‘Hey, I think you would be really great for this,’ and they mean it because they have taken the time to be personally interested in who we are as individuals. 

I can say with confidence that the people in Residence Life know me, and more than just by the fact that I am a Student Staff member.

                In my grad search, I spent a weekend at the Oshkosh Placement Exchange.

         Anyone who has gone through it understands the exhausting nature of a weekend full of interviews and having to be “on” for three days straight. I would be lying if I didn’t admit I had a small breakdown or two…or three. Yet, I have never felt as supported as I did that weekend. The professional staff that was there to interview candidates were constantly checking in to see how I was doing, making coffee, and offering words of encouragement in times of need. I had a mailbox full of encouraging notes from fellow staff members, Desk Assistants, and professional staff in UWL ResLife, many of which weren’t even people from my own building. I would also be lying if I didn’t tell you that these made me cry more than I already had, but in the best way possible. I’m a cryer, what can I say? The fact that I had so many people in my corner that cared about my well-being and success is just a testament to the wonderful people I have been fortunate enough to work with in my time at UWL. 

I am going to say something, and it is going to be cliché enough that you may cringe, but stay with me here: I would not be the person I am today if it were not for UWL and the ResLife Department.

                Okay, I’m sorry, but it’s true. 

        When I think about who I was when I started my time here, I don’t know if I can say that I like that girl. The growth that I have had, both professionally and personally, is something I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else. I tell my Desk Assistants all the time, and I don’t think that they take me seriously, but I tell them ‘You make me a better person.’ And they do. Every single day, in more ways than I can count. I am stronger, kinder, more confident, and just more of the person that I want to be based on the people I have come to know here. Leaving in May will be the hardest thing I will ever do (I’m crying now, told you I was a cryer). Leaving behind all the amazing people I have met, all the friendships that really will last forever, and all the memories that I hold so closely will be devastating. I’m not ready for it, but I am well prepared. The thanks for that goes to UWL, to Residence Life, to my incredible staff team and supervisor, to my Desk Assistants, and to every person who has left their fingerprint on my life. 

I hope I have left a few of my own. Life is just a series of happenstances, I could not be more thankful that mine have lead me here. 

-Amolia Schumacher

Sanford Hall Desk Coordinator

National Residence Hall Honorary- Vice President

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

What are you going to do with that?

I get asked this a lot. By relatives, parents, and friends back home. 

Whether it’s about my Communication major or how my job as an Resident Assistant will “help me in the future”. What they don’t understand is that I’m not just enforcing policy, I’m not just doing arts and crafts, I’m not just holding floor meetings and doing ice breakers - I’m building a community.

Community is a word Residence Life throws around without much context. In short, it’s my job and privilege to help residents create strong and healthy relationship with one another. Whether it’s having Bachelor watch parties or just spending a night doing homework together in the common space. I get to see student grow into independent young adult over the course of the year, and if you think we don’t notice, trust me- we do. I’ve seen you get more serious about your homework, I’ve seen you make friends with the room down the hall, I’ve seen you become invested in your intramurals team, I’ve seen you get connected with a student organization, I’ve seen you hanging out with friends from across campus, I’ve seen you. We have seen you.

 If you ever feel like no one see you, just remember - we do.

-Emmi Infante, Resident Assistant

Speed Mentoring!

In November, we spent some time connecting with professionals on campus in a Speed Mentoring style round robin. 

Each Hall Director and Assistant Hall Director had 4-5 minutes to connect with these campus partners to talk about their own professional development goals and ways we can enhance collaboration for the benefit of our students and our own professional growth.  

Our Campus Partners included:

Dr. Bob Hetzel - Vice Chancellor of Finance

Kirstin Stanely - Financial Specialist

Erin Thacker - Athletics Event Coordinator

Dr. Ryan McKelly - Psychology Professor

Brad Quarberg - Director of University Communications

Becky Viandan - Director of Career Services and Academic Advising

Charlene Hoeller - Counselor in Counseling and Testing

Chef Rob - Lead Chef for Chartwells and UWL Dinning

Mic Naumann - Student Support Services

Jaralee Richter - Assistant Director of Leadership and Involvement

Corey Sjoquist - Director of Admissions

Detective Chris Schuster - University Police

Andy Oliver - Assistant Director of the ACCESS (Disability Resource) Center

Richard Sims - Office of Multicultural Student Services

Why La Crosse?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Nestled between bluffs and the majestic Mississippi River, the city of La Crosse offers an almost endless variety of activities and natural beauty. Situated at the heart of the city, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's unique location means its students, staff, and faculty are within walking distance of most services and businesses. Historic downtown La Crosse is a short 10 minute walk away.

Whether it's the breath-taking view from Grandad's Bluff, walking the winding marsh trails, getting in touch with the German heritage during Oktoberfest, or visiting the World's Largest Six Pack; there is always something to do to help you connect with this beautiful area! We encourage you to explore the two links below to learn more about what La Crosse has to offer you!

This is my 25^th year at UWL... 

Nearly every day I have the good fortune of observing the people and great work being done that makes this a special place.  In my role as Director of Admissions, I share with prospective students and families why this is a special place.  One of the reasons UWL is a great choice for students to continue their education is because of the Residence Life program. UWL students are active, driven, engaged, and welcoming.  They find a strong connection to the on-campus programming both inside and outside of the halls.

 I am thankful I become involved in Residence Life at UWL as an undergraduate – first in hall government and later as a student staff member.  The Residence Life Team keeps the tradition of residential living at UWL strong.  It is awesome to work with the Leadership Team that includes those that I looked up to as role models when I was a student, those that were student staff with me, and those that I had an opportunity to supervise and mentor.  

This is such a special place and I love telling others about it!  

-Corey

Why University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

My name is Megan, and I am a first year Hall Director at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. However, this is not my first year at UWL. I had the opportunity to earn my Masters degree and serve as an Assistant Hall Director for two years prior to this year. I have gotten the question many times—why did you stay at UWL? The best way for me to answer that question is the pictures above. Whether I am at staff camp trying to hurdle 10 staff member over a wall, advising an RA Conference, having a Drake Hall fort night, moving in over 250 residents, engaging in dialogue surrounding rape culture, or hitting the golf course with valued colleagues to support Multicultural Student Services at UWL every memory I have made at UWL has been valuable. 

I have grown professionally and personally, and I would make the same decision to come to UWL and stay at UWL over and over again. 

-Megan

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. 

Hello, my name is Miranda and I am an International Student Advisor at UWL

UWL is a unique community to call home. Campus is very student centered and La Crosse, WI is a neat place to live. There is a lot of natural beauty here and the outdoor activities are expansive. There is also a lot of cultural diversity in the greater La Crosse area. Global Initiates Week happens every early November is a unique opportunity to highlight all of our international connections by creating an awareness and inspiring action. If you wanted to escape to a bigger city Minneapolis, MN, Madison, WI and Chicago, IL are not that far away. We also have our own airport, Amtrak station and bus station. 

I work with UWL Residence Life staff on a daily basis. I have a very close and collaborative relationship with many staff in Res Life. The folks in Res Life are great to work with. They are kind, creative and easy to talk to you. We work together on a lot of programming initiatives and finding ways to enhance our student's experiences on campus. I would say it has been a mutually beneficial relationship. I have learned a lot from them and they always go above and beyond to assist in whatever ways they can. It is truly an honor to work with so many wonderful folks on campus. 

-Miranda Panzer

My story with UWL began way back in the fall of 2009

     I was a brand new hall director pre-masters and we had just hired a new Director of Residence Life.  This guy kept talking about the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and how great it was.  We went to a fall conference, and everyone he introduced me to had some connection to UWL….Little did I know that 4 years later, after acquiring a master’s degree, and moving 9 hours away from home, I would find myself at UWL working for Dr. Nick and swiftly loving this place called La Crosse.

A specific story that I would like to share was when my nephew was born.  My brother and I are particularly close and he lives in Minnesota.  I’m the closest family as our other family lives in Kansas.  Jayce (my nephew) came into this world really early.  My brother called me to share the news and needed me to get there.  (More details: I was a new HD to UWL and had only served for 1 semester, I had a brand new assistant hall director, and a staff team of 14 students.) 

I called my supervisor to let her know that I needed to leave and her response was “Yep, see you later and keep me informed of how your family is doing.” Another important piece to this story is that we were 2 weeks out from welcoming our students back on campus for spring semester and there was plenty to do.  I was able to leave to go support my brother and sister-in-law without further thought and all the support from my UWL family.  I never looked back and was able to be there for my family.  When I got back to UWL, I was welcomed with questions of “How is your nephew?”  “How is your brother and sister-in-law?”  “When are you going back?” “What do you need help with?” “Can I see pictures?”

There was never a moment when I was asked “Where are you with your work?”  In fact, folks were asking what they could take off my plate so that I wasn’t so overwhelmed. 

This is the UWL that I have come to know and love.  More importantly, the UWL that I am a part of.  The folks in Residence Life care deeply.  I’ve also found this to be true for our campus partners and other folks that I have gotten to meet since I’ve been here.  

-Allyson

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!

Our Motivated and Ambitious StudentsVideos by: James Bushman, University Communications (former UWL RA)

Our Student Staff (Resident Assistants/Desk Coordinators/ Senior Staff) continue to impress us and are truly engaged in their academics as well as the community.  The two students highlighted in these videos were important members of our UWL Residence Life family during their recent time at UWL.

Katie Svitavsky: UW-L student Katie Svitavsky has a lot to look back when she thinks about her college career. The faculty and staff member she's worked with find it easy to brag about it.

Haley Cassidy: Hoeschler Award Winner encourages others to get involved!

My Graduate Assistantship Experience
By Dylan Kersten, RHAC Graduate Assistant

I am a second year graduate student in the student affairs administration master's program on campus. UW La Crosse (UWL) was appealing to me because the program requires students to have a graduate assistantship in order to gain practical experience in a student affairs functional area. I didn't have a lot of experience in residence life as an undergraduate and was interested in seeing what it had to offer. I joined the department as one of the advisors for the Residence Hall Association Council, in addition to helping out with other assignments when necessary.

There is a balance that needs to be struck as a graduate student of balancing both our academics and our work load. I feel that I have been able to successfully achieve that while working in this department. I feel as though residence life has a bad reputation for being too much work and I haven't found that to be the case in my time here. I feel as though they are understanding and supportive of my academic obligations, and I appreciate that this understanding doesn't come at the expense of my credibility in the department. Even though I am still a student, I feel valued as a professional in the office.

I enjoy UWL because students on this campus tend to be very engaged, especially within their residence halls. They actually enjoy forming connections with the professional staff, and I believe that is in part due everyone being very approachable. ORL places a strong emphasis on the importance of the student voice, which I believe has had a very positive impact on students' willingness to engage.

As a member of the Office of Residence Life, I believe we have high standards of one another because our performance has a strong impact on the experiences of residential students. Due to these high expectations, we hold each other accountable and strive for excellence each and every day. We are dedicated to developmental experiences, which is evident in our support of conference attendance, in addition to the willingness of the department to host conferences, either on campus or in the La Crosse Community.