Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1 - 23

Minoritized RAs
While minoritized RAs frequently see themselves as representing a
visible pathway for other students with minoritized identities to serve in the
RA position, the unbalanced expectations imposed upon them reify hierarchical,
raced, and gendered leadership norms that can make minoritized students feel
so isolated or lonely that they depart the position.
residence life professional staff served vital roles as supportive mentors bolstering
the solidity of their identities. For example, Makayla's experience, combined with the
ongoing guidance she received from her residence life mentor, supported her in
defining new ways of understanding her racial identities:
The experiences here as an RA and with my boss [who was also African American] made
me more comfortable identifying as African American and white, and I think that just
kind of was like, " Yeah. You have the right to speak about racial issues. " Because I'm
experiencing them, not necessarily just like any other Black woman would, but I am
experiencing similar issues and therefore, yes, I can talk about those [issues]. After those
conversations, I was like, " Cool! " It was probably the most striking thing.
Similarly, Zac understood new dimensions of his identities by serving as an RA and used
his overall identity as a driver to actively participate in and engage with decision-making
structures within the institution:
Being queer, I think having come to terms with that throughout my RA experience,
it gave me a stronger foundation to embrace myself as a person regardless of my race
or sexual orientation. Now, I use these identities to drive me, push me to do different
things like civil rights and all that jazz. As a queer person, I make sure to come to the
forefront of the group and say, " Hey. Let me have a seat at the table. Let me be an active
part of the conversation. "
For Brandon, his salient minoritized identities, which were, likewise, explored throughout
his RA experience, made the RA role feel as if it were a new extension of who he
was: " [Because I was developing my identity in this role], I see myself now in all that
I do as an RA because I can't see myself as anything else. " Not only did being situated
within an identity-affirming microclimate contribute to the identity building that students
in the study were doing, but it also contributed to feelings of self-empowerment
that were occurring simultaneously.
Confidence building. Participants generally credited the RA position with affording
them the opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills, including interpersonal
communication, conflict management, leadership, time management, and organization.
However, RAs with minoritized identities repeatedly spoke specifically of how
serving as an RA instilled within them stronger self-confidence. As Jesslyn indicated,
Being an RA is the best thing that ever happened to me in college hands down. I have
learned so much from it. It's been the most rewarding thing. I felt empowered by being
an RA. I'm definitely more confident in who I am as a leader, my abilities, being more
comfortable with myself and being open and honest with people about me.
20 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1