SEAHO Report - Winter 2020 - 41

SEAHO Feature Articles
structure. I recognize that this semester is going to be different and at times difficult, but the working example of
each residence hall on a campus being a part of a larger campus ecology inspires me every day.
Ben provided essential tips for how a seasoned professional staff member can successfully handle added
responsibility. Keep the students first, assess how effectively you manage your time, adapt when needed, and
always be willing to ask for help. I do not foresee a future where mid-year hires are no longer happening, so it
is imperative that we as leaders and administrators in our departments take the time to adequately equip our
staff with the skills necessary to be able to handle the changes in a healthy manner. We need to think
strategically to have back-up plans and fair distributions of workload ready to be disseminated when needed so
that students do not feel a loss of care, and our staff do not feel unsupported. It is a balancing act, and one I
know I will continue to work on as I try my best to do more, and adapt more, with less.

Always One of Mine
By Stephanie Hesbacher, Furman University
We all know that this time of year is that crazy time when we sit through weeks of back-to-back student staff
member interviews - many with students who have never gone through an interview before. As an introvert, I
both love and hate this time of year. I enjoy meeting all the new candidates and learning about them as
individuals but dread the exhaustion every night from having to be social and extroverted for so many hours and
so many days.
Following the ending of interviews for our department, I was brought into an issue within my building of which
I was previously unaware. What should have been an easy conversation and solution escalated quickly, as things
sometimes do. After being told a few times by a parent that I was not being supportive or helpful enough, I
knew I needed a mental health break for my own sanity.
I jumped on Facebook, like many of us do, so I could simply not think for a few moments. As I scrolled through
my feed, I came across an article that was posted by a former coworker of mine. The article was titled "Once
You're My Student, You're Always My Student." Anyone who knows me knows that I am a firm believer in this
sentiment. I clicked the link and settled in to read with hopes of a positive mood lift. The article is written by a
high school arts teacher, Liz Oppelt, who describes the joy of watching your students grow up in front of your
eyes. You get to spend those years watching them come into themselves, make mistakes and then they graduate
and leave you behind. The line that hit me the hardest was "and every year, as you leave, my hope is that you
know, that you remember what I hope I tell you enough: that once one of mine, always one of mine."
After having such an exhausting few weeks and then being hit so hard personally, I decided to not only
post/share the article, but to also to tag all the students, grads and former student staff that who are on my
Facebook friends list. When all was said and done, I tagged 96 out of my 251 Facebook friends. I wrote a
simple message "This sums up what I try to tell my RAs and residents as they've graduated over the years...
I'm always here if you need me and I often think of you and the impact you've also made on my own life and
career! If I missed tagging anyone, please feel free to share with them."
To be honest, I did this selfishly. I wanted to feel for a moment like I'd made an impact on previous students
because in the past 24 hours, I was feeling like I was failing my profession. I was not able to check my
Facebook until after work that evening. Over the course of the day I posted that article, I had two former staff
text message me and let me know that they appreciated everything I had done for them over the years. One
thanked me for not giving up on them as they struggled to figure out who they were while working as an RA.
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SEAHO Report Winter 2020

SEAHO Report - Winter 2020

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