Meet the RAs! - DeJhauna Smith

SIU Residence Life has some outstanding Resident Assistants, and we want to show our appreciation by featuring them on our blog. We also hope people who are considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to check out the people who could be their future co-workers! RA profiles are featured on the blog, and graduate and full-time staff profiles (and information about positions) can be found on our recruitment website.

1. What’s your name?  DeJhauna Smith
2. Where are you from?  Evanston, Illinois
3. What’s your major?  Speech Comm with specalization in Public Relations
4. What is your favorite dining hall food?  I like a lot of their foods, but probably the meatloaf and cookies the most.
5. Where is your favorite place to go off-campus?  The mall
6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Living in some city, doing event planning. Or Europe, it's all up in the air still!
7. What do you like about being an RA?  Meeting a bunch of different characters.
8. Favorite quote?  "We should all begin to live before we die, fear is stupid so are regrets" - Marilyn Monroe
9. Best study spot on campus?  3rd floor of the library
10. How else are you involved at SIU (besides being an RA)?  SANKOFA, PRSSA, Pyramid (student public relations agency).

Meet the RAs! - Jeremy Strabala

SIU Residence Life has some outstanding Resident Assistants, and we want to show our appreciation by featuring them on our blog. We also hope people who are considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to check out the people who could be their future co-workers! RA profiles are featured on the blog, and graduate and full-time staff profiles (and information about positions) can be found on our recruitment website.

Jeremy with another University Hall RA, Sophia Lozano

1.  What’s your name? Jeremy Strabala
2.  Where are you from?  I'm from Streator, Illinois
3.  What’s your major?  My major is Architectural Studies
4.  What is your favorite dining hall food?  University Hall has the best food on campus. I love Shellie's alfredo sauce!!!!
5. Where is your favorite place to go off-campus? I love going to the spillway. There is so much to do there on a hot day. You can play in the waterfall or just lay around in the calm waters at the top. I HIGHLY recommend going!!!
6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In ten years I can see myself being an experienced architect in California designing the most net zero earth friendly buildings as possible. If that does not pan out then I can definitely see myself working in Res Life because I love being an RA so much that I could see myself being a HD.
7.  What do you like about being an RA?  Being able to be in the position of Resident Assistant is a great opportunity; my favorite part would have to be creating both a community with my residents but also building a family with my staff. In the end we all know we have each others backs and we are there for each other.
8.  Favorite quote?  My favorite quote as of right now is "Character is what you do when no one is watching."
9.  Best study spot on campus?  I think the best place to get some studying done is at the U-Hall study tables that the RAs hold each night in our small dining room. Its always so quiet and I always crank out my homework there.
10.  How else are you involved at SIU (besides being an RA)?  I am a student worker for University Housing contracts, Director of the SIU Carbondale SpringDrag Show, Color Guard member of the Marching Salukis, Saluki Rainbow Network member, and also a Queer Mentors member.

Meet the RAs! - Andrea Chairse

SIU Residence Life has some outstanding Resident Assistants, and we want to show our appreciation by featuring them on our blog. We also hope people who are considering applying for the RA position will take a minute to check out the people who could be their future co-workers! Look for new RA profiles to be posted regularly as we continue this feature!

1.  What’s your name?  My name is Andrea Chairse.
2.  Where are you from?  I am from Bellwood, IL, which is a western suburb outside of Chicago, IL.
3.  What’s your major?  I double major in Paralegal Studies and Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science.
4.  What is your favorite dining hall food?  My favorite dining hall foods are the baked sweet potatoes, the French fries and anything else that is considered a carb.
5.  Where is your favorite place to go off-campus?  My favorite place to go on campus is the library. It is always very quiet there and the staff is very helpful. 
6.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  In ten years, I will be a practicing attorney at a Sports and Entertainment firm. I plan to be happy and married living in an undetermined location. I furthermore see myself as doing some pro-bono work as a juvenile defense public defender.
7.  What do you like about being an RA?  What I like the most about being an RA is the feeling of knowing that my advice and words make a difference in a student’s life. I also, love the fact that I get to hold programs for my residents, in which they can benefit from in the long run. Moreover, I enjoy being the community leader that has the ability to get the students involved. 
8.  Favorite quote?  My favorite quote is by Lewis Cass and it states “People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do”.
9.  Best study spot on campus?  The best study spot on campus, in my opinion, is any area with wireless Internet connection and very quiet.
10.  How else are you involved at SIU (besides being an RA)?   Besides being an RA, I am actively involved on campus. I am the programming chair for African Student Council; A Mentor for Padrinos, which is through the Hispanic Resource Center; The President of the Organization for Paralegal Students, and the Vice President of Professional Development for Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity.