Hello! My name is Brittany Barker and I am an Assistant Hall Director in Thompson Point. I supervise directly and indirectly 15 resident assistants (RAs) and am also the advisor for the Thompson Point Area Council (TPAC). Currently, I am obtaining my Master’s degree in College Student Personnel in the Higher Education Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
University Housing gave me an incredible opportunity this semester to attend the Illinois State Resident Assistant Association (ISRAA) 2011 conference at ISU in Bloomington, Illinois. As an advisor with Hall Director Joshua Tepps, we were excited to lead the 8 Resident Assistants in a fun and beneficial adventure!
Josh, the resident assistants, and I began our journey in preparation for the conference through developing a roll call performed during the first night, creating a banner to represent SIUC spirit, and the making of door decorations to welcome resident assistants from other Illinois institutions to the conference. During the four hour drive to the conference in University-provided vehicles, we were able to build SIUC’s team spirit in our excitement for the weekend. The RAs could not wait to meet and network with RAs from other universities, as well as to learn new programming ideas!
During the RA sessions, advisors met to discuss ways to become better supervisors and advisors for our student staff. In the four beneficial sessions provided, I networked with Hall Directors, Assistant Hall Directors, and other staff members and gained insight into how I can perform my job more effectively. I discussed my concerns and goals for the year and through this, I became more self-aware as an Assistant Hall Director and Advisor of Thompson Point Area Council (TPAC) at SIUC. This knowledge has traveled back to Carbondale with me, and has continued to assist me in my supervision and advisor roles.
A special thanks to SIUC Residence Life for providing the funding for Hall Director Josh and I to attend this conference. Through this experience, I was able to continue my pursuit in obtaining more professional development as I work for University Housing and obtain my degree in College Student Personnel. There are many avenues in which Residence Life provides for Assistant Hall Directors and Hall Directors in their aspirations to continue to become well-rounded student affairs professionals. I appreciate this opportunity and I encourage all future Assistant Hall Directors and Hall Directors to become involved in Illinois Conferences for both professional staff members and resident assistants. Not only did I learn a lot, but I had a wonderful time!
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