UWL Has a Very Special Place in My Heart

Well, we’re now on the other side of Spring Break, and the end of the semester feels right around the corner. This time of year can always feel bittersweet, but for me especially, I know that closing the residence hall this year will be harder than any other time before. My name is Becky Schwartz. I am a Senior Staff RA in Eagle Maroon, and this May will be my graduation and my last closing as an undergraduate student staff member. As I approach my final weeks at UWL, I reflect on my time here and the impact this department has had on me. And let me tell you, it’s a big one…

From my freshman year roommate and RA, I learned college is what you make of it, and to take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Without her, the past 4 years of my life would have been very different. From my residents from each of my three years on staff, I learned that there is much more going on underneath the surface. The students at UWL are so dynamic and hard working. I’ve had the pleasure to make pancakes, comfort them with Kleenex and hugs, get pied in the face for charity, clean up messes, and go on countless bluff hikes, just to name a few.

From my Laux Hall Director and Staff Team, I learned to ‘embrace the awkward’ and that courage can take many forms. I learned to be vulnerable. During that year, I had felt like I had truly found ‘my people’ in Residence Life. I learned that we grow the most when we aren’t the most comfortable, and I learned to embrace my individuality and vulnerability.To my Hutch Hall supervisors and the Hutch Team, thank you for teaching me grace. (Both getting and giving.) I learned that sometimes the hardest thing to be is yourself, and that there is insurmountable strength in being soft. I also learned that it’s important to take a break- you can’t pour from an empty glass.

From my summer staff team, I learned that La Crosse during the summer is possibly one of the most beautiful places, with some of the most wonderful people. I also learned that exactly how much work the Residence Life department puts into ensuring that pro-staff, student staff, and residence get the most out of their training and experiences at UWL. (And let me tell you, it’s a lot!)

From my current Eagle Maroon Staff Team, Core Team and Hall Director, I’ve learned that Residence Life is the place where I’d like to be for a long while. I found my footing in my Senior Staff position, and I learned how to be adaptable and embrace changes. I’ve been so touched by the family we’ve created, and I’d hope more than anything that I’ll be able to provide those feelings and opportunities for my future work teams.

So, dear Reader, if there’s one takeaway from this post, it’s that UWL has a very special place in my heart. The care that the students, administrators, and staff put into this department is like no other. For them, I am forever grateful. If you ever get the chance to be a part of the UWL Residence Life Department, I would tell you without hesitation to take the opportunity. You might just find ‘your people’ here too. 

-Becky Schwartz

Senior Staff-Resident Assistant, Eagle Maroon 2016-2017

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

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