Why I Became a Resident Assistant

My family moved all over the country as my Dad coached for different teams in the NFL. By the time I was in 6th grade, I had already lived in something like seven different states. When we moved to Pittsburgh, we ended up staying there for a while, that's where I really consider my home.

Moving around a lot means you don’t really make close friends, and so I definitely consider my family to be my best friends; they’re always a priority for me. I have grown up around different people and cultures all my life. I think that is part of the reason why I came to NYU Shanghai in the first place. Everyone comes from all over the world, so you don’t really have to think about fitting in at all, and that is something I appreciate.

I think I wanted to become an RA because of my own RA during my freshman year. I realized how much of a leader she was in our community and all that she did for everyone, and I wanted to be able to do the same thing for the incoming class. It’s hard getting used to college life, so knowing that someone always has your back makes life a bit easier.

Between harder courses, RA duties, and being the Director General for the upcoming NYU Shanghai Model United Nations Conference, I definitely have a lot more on my plate than I did last year, but at the same time I am way less stressed now than I was before. Waking up early is something that honestly makes my life so much easier. I take the 7am bus pretty much every day and it gives me an extra hour and a half to take care of administrative duties or work out.  Simply having more hours in your day to get stuff done is something that has helped me, and I even can keep a task list of day to day must-dos on Google calendar. Organization,time management, and frankly, being honest when you can’t meet a deadline are things I think everyone should make the most out of.

I think in time, I will be able to go down whichever path I choose; it is just about focusing on tangible goals and not getting discouraged. As long as I keep moving forward and do my best with what is in front of me, I’m always going to find my way to the next step, whatever that may be.

I want to use what I learn in university to help developing countries and marginalized communities. I want to open my own restaurant, I want to help design cities for the future, and find out ways to tackle environmental issues. If there is one thing I don’t lack, it passion and ideas. My time here at NYU Shanghai is allowing me to focus these ideas and passion on more specific and manageable goals, and that's something I’m grateful for.