Who Wants to be a Rockstar?

The past three years at Oakland University have been nothing short of an amazing ride full of the best experiences and opportunities I have ever encountered.  One of my favorite experiences is the opportunity that I have received with becoming a student leader on campus in residence life.  It is not something hard to do, and it is an opportunity that you don't want to pass up. So let's start with my experiences and the programs that I went through with my student leadership journey. 

The first step I took with this opportunity was deciding to apply for a Vandenberg House Council.  This is what I saw as a sort of "student council" (if you will) for college and the residence halls.  There is a president, vice president, Secretary, treasure, historian, and then different committee chairs.  I applied by filling out the application available all over Vandenberg, (EVERYONE is eligible to apply for a position!) and went to the first meeting, where we gave a little speech and talked about why we wanted the position.  After trying for president, and not getting it, I decided I wasn't going to give up, and got back up and gave another speech to run for Vice President.  I was elected in as vice president and was really excited.  Now, house council is responsible for a lot of different things, mainly fun programs for the residents to partake in.  Some of the things we used as programs included a huge Halloween party, a carnival for change (carnival games collecting spare change to donate to a certain cause), a grocery bingo (play bingo win free food!!!!) p.s that was my favorite :) and other programs as well.  These were just some of the events we hosted.  Beyond the fun and games we also had to work with closing procedures for breaks, hold monthly building meetings for the residents, and other duties that went with our prospective offices.  This was the first leadership opportunity I experienced, I loved it, and I wanted more!

After first semester of my sophomore year, and doing a full semester of Vandenberg House Council, A position for our Nightwatch program opened up.  Nightwatch is our security program on campus.  The nightwatch stations are set up in every residence hall, and they run from 8pm to 5am (unless your in small halls where they run from 10pm to 3am) and it is used to make sure that the residents that live there are safe, and that no one that isn't suppose to be in the halls are. I filled out the application, and went to the interview process, (which isn't as nerve wracking as it seems) and two weeks later I got the position! I used the Vandenberg House Council leadership experience, to help me build to get the position of nightwatch.   In Nightwatch, I learned different leadership skills, and other responsibilities that prepared me for other positions I was considering on campus. 

Working with Vandenberg House Council, then Nightwatch, I wanted to take my student leadership to another level and go for a resident assistant (RA) position for my junior year of college.  A resident assistant job is a huge commitment in many ways, the experience is amazing, but the time, effort, and responsibility that comes with the position can be overwhelming. The application process for this position is a little bit harder than the others, you attend an information session, fill out a more extensive application, and go through an interview process with a board of three other student leaders interviewing you.  I successfully earned a position working in Hill House (small halls) as a resident assistant my junior year of college! This experience is something I will never forget, the bonds you create with your staff, the hard times you go through, the fun times, are all 100% worth every moment.  The responsibilities that come with being an RA are making door tags and bulletin boards every month, planning so many programs a semester (some being social, educational and others) and having one duty night a week, where you hold a "duty phone" and respond to any calls if something happens in the halls.  Overall, this experience is one that has completely changed my life, and made me a much different person.  The friends I have gained from working this are lifelong, and the experience is unforgettable. 

Last but certainly not LEAST, is the current position I am working right now! :) Housing Ambassador, I went through the same application process, and interview, but this position is a summer commitment.  I get to work at new student orientations, and be one of those people who convinces others to live on campus (because who wouldn't want to right?) and experience some of the awesome opportunities that we have to offer.  Giving tours of the residence halls, and working orientations is a lot of fun!

These experiences are open to all students, WHO LIVE ON CAMPUS :) totally a wonderful perk of living here, and some of these pay for your room, and board, and others pay additional as well. 

There are other additional opportunities available of there as well, some that I have not mentioned are
- Desk workers (in the residence halls)
- Academic Peer Mentor (APM)
- Center for Multi Cultural Peer Mentor (CMI)
- Orientation Group Leader (OGL--summer position)
and probably many more that I have not listed!