Popular culture, preconceived notions, and a general stigma all contribute to the widely accepted viewpoint that RAs love to get people in trouble—they love knocking on doors in the middle of the night to tell people to turn the music down, they relish confiscating hidden bottles of alcohol, they adore a well-functioning smoke alarm. But what many don’t take the time to realize is that RAs are students, too, and these not-so-fun parts of the job are things they must put up with to be able to participate in the parts of the job they love: making people feel seen, creating genuine connection, and fostering a fun and inclusive environment.
Thirteen RAs from Winona State University had the opportunity to travel to Northern Iowa University for an RA conference this past weekend. RAs from many different schools across the area gathered to discuss the theme of the conference, which was “Find Your Rhythm.” Along with keynote speakers addressing this topic, the RAs themselves were able to present things they had been doing at their own schools or topics they thought were important to discuss.
Emma Miller and Cameron Simon, two RAs at Winona State, presented on breaking the stigma around being an RA. A second-year student and RA in Morey-Shepard Hall, Miller says, “There are so many stereotypes and preconceived notions that people have about being an RA. Like, we’re rule followers, and all we want to do is bust people in the dorms and we have no life outside of this…residents often forget that we’re also students here, and we also have lives outside of this job.”
Their presentation centered around how to combat the stigma around RAs that can sometimes create barriers between residents and their RAs. To Miller, it seemed to be a pretty common experience with the other RAs at the conference to feel misunderstood by some residents. “When I was doing my presentation, everybody in that room felt like they were understood,” she says. Acknowledging the stigma around RAs is the first step in breaking down those barriers to foster more open and genuine communication.
She believes that being an RA is much more than just enforcing the rules, although that is an important part of it. She says its important to remember that “your RA is not just an RA. They’re a human outside of this position. They have interests, they have things that they’re a part of. Talk to them, ask them questions…see what their passions are.”
Second-year student and RA for Richards Hall Evelyn Ankrum has had a similar experience. She says, “I think the residents that I’ve been able to make connections with don’t see me as someone who’s just there to get them in trouble. But some of the residents that don’t know me are maybe a little bit more cautious.” She believes that rather than the burden fall on the university to reduce RA stigma, “it’s up to the RAs to help combat the stigma by just being out there and being open and talking to different residents to change their mindset.”
Miller encourages anyone considering being an RA to try it out. She says that this experience has “been really insightful and really educational. And it’s also helped me learn not only what I’m good at, but what I’m not good at. And I think it’s good too, to know your flaws, know what you’re not good at.” Being an RA is, above all, an opportunity to connect with students and make a difference in their lives when things can feel turbulent and uncertain. A good RA can truly benefit the lives of their residents and make them feel seen and supported, and no resident should feel scared to approach their RA with any need, question, or problem—because at the end of the day, the RAs are students, too. They just want to help.
