Growth from being a RA
October 14, 2005 6:56 pm - By: Jamie
Early in Kindergarten my teacher had us participate in a runway walk dressed up in clothing that portrayed who we wanted to be when we grew up. To be a doctor was a logical choice for me at the time. So my mom went out and bought me a lab coat and a stethoscope, just the things I need to be a doctor. Time passed and I went from the cute kindergarten phase to the awkward teen phase and now I am growing into my 20 phase. As I went through the first 19 years of my life I let it be known that I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. It was not until my second year of college that I truly started questioning it. I had always struggled with the fact that I wanted to be a mom that was super involved with her children’s lives and the idea of being a doctor. My second year of college slowly started leaning towards being a dentist. After all, I could have a room in my dental office that was turned into a nursery; therefore, I would be able to see my kids whenever I wanted to. But the summer between my Second and Third year of college I realized what I really belonged doing. I belonged working as a high school counselor.
It all made since, I had just been fighting it all those years. The things that I enjoyed the most in life were the things that were related to education: going into my brother’s classes during recess and helping out, being a peer counselor in high school, helping out with registration at my high school every year after my freshmen year, being a Marshall Orientation Leader, and now the thing that I am currently involved in and enjoying being a RA.
Each of the experiences above have prepared me to be a high school counselor, but I feel the challenge of being an RA is really shaping me and is going to contribute to be being a good counselor. Last year I was the RA of O-Building with 64 residents and this year I am the RA of T and U Buildings with 48 residents. Last year was challenging in it was but this year I am facing situations that I am going to be faced with as a high school counselor. I look at each challenge my residents bring to me as an opportunity to grow. When I came to college I had it set in my mind that anyone that did drugs or drank or did anything that was not appropriate I thought very little of those types of people. Since coming to college I am learning that you are still human when you do those things and you can actually be a very successful person.
Comments
By: The Ham - November 22, 2005, 11:51 pm
Jamie, you are so smart! i want to go to UCSD