"What does building a community mean to you?" It’s a question Resident Assistants reflect on and actively engage with throughout the academic year. Each fall semester, Housing and Residence Life, a department within Student Engagement and Well-Being, invites students to apply to become a Resident Assistant. Resident Assistants (RAs) are students who serve in the residence halls as a resource for their residents. RAs primarily focus on building a community and relationships with residents in an effort to provide programming, individualized support, campus resource information, and academic encouragement.
Diana Sethna, a second-year Neuroscience major, is a first-time Resident Assistant at Center Street North Apartments who cherishes her connections with her residents. "Building healthy relationships and seeing others being comfortable enough to come to me with the problems they're having is my favorite part of the job," said Sethna. "I didn't realize how close I would become with my residents. I thought it would be me helping them with issues with their rooms, but now, getting to meet them to grab a meal after classes and get to know them personally; that's what building a community means to me."
Housing and Residence Life created an extensive application for students to apply to become a Resident Assistant, which includes essay responses and a demonstration of their commitment to campus service. “The Resident Assistant application is an important part of the hiring process and is used to evaluate the student’s candidacy,” says Dr. Sheree Gibson, director of Residence Life. “We need students who are strong communicators, excited about living on campus, and dedicated in creating and building a community with residents living in the residence halls.”
The Resident Assistant position is an exclusive and competitive on-campus leadership opportunity for students. The Housing and Residence Life team anticipates eliminating a large amount of applications received, as they work towards building a team of 244 Resident Assistants. Students who are not selected to become a Resident Assistant, Housing and Residence Life provides additional opportunities to develop leadership and community-building skills. These include joining organizations such as the Residence Hall Association (RHA), the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), Community Council, and applying for an Area Office Student Assistant position.
Once the students are offered the Resident Assistant position, they receive extensive training about resident support and programming to prepare them for the academic year. According to Abhinav Iyer, a third-year Mechanical Engineering major and Resident Assistant at Crecine Apartments, programming is one of his favorite things about being an RA, as he develops a strong bond with his residents. “I enjoy planning programs for my residents as it allows them to relax and have fun,” said Iyer. “By planning programs, I’m able to meet my residents on a personal level and give them a chance to talk to me about anything so I can help them while being a student at Tech.”
Applications for the 2024-2025 Resident Assistant Selection Process opened on October 31, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. and closes on December 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Students interested in learning more about the application process and informational sessions can visit the Student Job Opportunities . Students can email staffselection@housing.gatech.edu if they have questions about the selection process.