Students entering the business world need different types of skills. Accounting major and honors student Anthony (AJ) Smith completed a leadership internship as a Residence Assistant with University of Iowa Housing and Dining as well as a more traditional business internship with the Jacobson Institute. Find out what he gained from his work as an RA below, and check out last week’s post for his reflection on his Jacobson Institute internship.
The 2019-2020 academic year was my second year as a Resident Assistant in the Daum Residence Hall. While our time together was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a wonderful time interacting with my residents in the months leading up to our early dismissal, and our year on First Floor Daum was still jam-packed with great experiences.
Our year started with an inter-floor Luau! In all my time as a Resident Assistant, this was the most well-attended event I had ever seen. We had residents from all eight floors of Daum in attendance, and our sign-in sheet included the names of 76 residents when it was all said and done. Activities for this event included Hawaiian music, a screening of Lilo and Stitch, “Minute-to-Win-It” style games involving balloons and cups, and a photo booth for residents to take pictures and remember the experience.
While the Luau was by far my most well-attended event, I was also quite proud of our inter-floor Smash Brothers Tournament. We had residents from four floors in attendance. After competing in an intra-floor competition, the best players from each floor then faced off against each other in a final showdown to win it all. I had a great time planning this event and getting everything set up, but the most satisfying part of this social was hearing the yells of excitement and support from each floor as they battled for the title of “Super Smash Bros Champion.”
Another aspect of the Resident Assistant position that I really enjoyed was the license for creativity that we were given over our floor bulletin boards. Every month, Resident Assistants across the entire campus were given the same topic and told to improvise a bulletin board that both informed and engaged their residents. I approached each month as a challenge, trying to figure out new ways to make my bulletin board both eye-catching and fun to read. Hours and hours of work went into every board, but the support and the anticipation of my residents for each board made the work much easier. Sometimes my residents even stopped by to help with cleaning up when I took my old boards down at the end of each month! This was an act of kindness and an impromptu community building event that I was always very grateful for.
Apart from the personal satisfaction of having my residents enjoy floor socials and bulletin boards, the Resident Assistant experience also provided me with some incredible opportunities for personal growth. Through our Fall and Winter Trainings, and via on-the-job-experience, I was able to develop interpersonal and organizational skills such as empathy, active listening, time management, and event planning. In addition to growing my soft skills, the Resident Assistant role helped me to build my work experience and resume, which have already assisted me in securing an internship, and will undoubtedly help in securing a job in the future.
In conclusion, my experience as a Resident Assistant this year has been an excellent opportunity for personal growth, for professional growth, and for building relationships with my fellow Hawkeyes. Were there some late-night-calls and groggy staff meetings this year? Oh yeah, you betcha. But the opportunity to support the next generation of Hawkeyes has been a very rewarding experience, and I can’t wait to help welcome the Class of 2024 in the upcoming year.
Written by: AJ Smith, Honors Student
Edited by: Madhuri Belkale, Honors Student Admin
Note to Self 