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It’s the middle of rush week, and she’s in a hurry. Her still-wet hair is wrapped in a towel as she rushes to make her bed and lay out her outfit for the coming night. As a double major, she’s had a full day of classes and now looks forward to a long night filled with sorority events.
Suddenly, a resident walks hesitantly into her room, looking for someone in whom to confide. The busy resident advisor stops what she’s doing, invites the girl to sit on the bed with her and encourages her to share the burden she’s been buried beneath all day.
The most notable feature about this account is the RA’s eyes. Warm and brown, they are full of genuine concern as she talks her resident through her troubles. They sparkle with enthusiasm once she’s begun to help the girl resolve her frustrations. All the while, there is an overwhelming conscience that this room is bursting with support and sisterly love.
This is a typical afternoon for junior Molly Thomas, the resident advisor of White House.
RAs are responsible for managing the various housing locations on campus. Each freshman house is composed of a triad of two RAs and a spiritual life advisor to share responsibilities. With 48 residents per house, it can be easy for a resident to feel invisible. But not in Thomas’ house.
“Molly is different from other RAs because she is more than just a figure of authority. She is a friend,” Natalie Hagedorn, spiritual life advisor of White House, said.
Hagedorn, having only met Thomas three weeks before the start of school, knows her as a genuine and positive person who is filled with enthusiasm.
“You can see it in the way her eyes light up that she is incredibly passionate about what she does. I love being able to work with her,” Hagedorn said.
Thomas first became interested in becoming an RA as a sophomore, seeking an opportunity to gain leadership experience. But it was the opportunity to be a positive role model in the lives of young women that convinced her to take on the job.
“I prayed long and hard about what I wanted to be involved in this year,” Thomas said. “In combining a leadership role with my passion for younger women, this is the perfect job. I can grow alongside my residents spiritually and academically.”
With a laugh Thomas added, “It helps that I have the best residents on campus.”
Becoming an RA was a particularly ambitious endeavor for Thomas, as she is heavily involved in her community. This year she serves as the director of the philanthropy Anchor Splash, is a junior honor board member for her sorority Delta Gamma, is the director of administration for the women’s ministry Wonderfully Made, serves on the board of directors for the service project Bus for Boyamba and works at J. Crew. While her list of activities leaves her struggling to find balance, she embraces all her activities with equal enthusiasm.
“The most challenging part has been time management, or lack thereof,” Thomas said. “Ideally, in a perfect world, I’d be here every minute of every day investing in my residents, but I have classes, I have work, I have my sorority, and I have a great group of friends that all demand my time.”
While there are difficulties, being an RA is not without its perks. Compensation includes room and board, the standard meal plan, free leadership training, and a reduced cost of laundry services. Still, her favorite part of being an RA is the invaluable relationships she has built with residents.
“Molly really leads by example. She believes in what she does and she is passionate about helping her residents,” long-time-friend Brennan Lee, a junior at Pepperdine University, said.
“I’ve known Molly for a long time, and she has always been a compassionate, energized person. But since becoming an RA, she has grown into something more. She is a role model now.”
Being so passionate about her position as RA, it comes as no surprise that her residents adore her.
“Molly is just incredible. She is so loving and caring and has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. I aspire to be like her,” Christy Panchal, a resident of White House, said.
Being an RA has helped Thomas grow and continually challenge herself, and she is grateful for the opportunity.
“No matter where I end up career wise, I know my life’s vocation is to inspire young women and help build self-esteem. Being an RA is such an incredibly unique opportunity because it gives me an outlet to do so. This is exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and I love it.”
Suddenly, a resident walks hesitantly into her room, looking for someone in whom to confide. The busy resident advisor stops what she’s doing, invites the girl to sit on the bed with her and encourages her to share the burden she’s been buried beneath all day.
The most notable feature about this account is the RA’s eyes. Warm and brown, they are full of genuine concern as she talks her resident through her troubles. They sparkle with enthusiasm once she’s begun to help the girl resolve her frustrations. All the while, there is an overwhelming conscience that this room is bursting with support and sisterly love.
This is a typical afternoon for junior Molly Thomas, the resident advisor of White House.
RAs are responsible for managing the various housing locations on campus. Each freshman house is composed of a triad of two RAs and a spiritual life advisor to share responsibilities. With 48 residents per house, it can be easy for a resident to feel invisible. But not in Thomas’ house.
“Molly is different from other RAs because she is more than just a figure of authority. She is a friend,” Natalie Hagedorn, spiritual life advisor of White House, said.
Hagedorn, having only met Thomas three weeks before the start of school, knows her as a genuine and positive person who is filled with enthusiasm.
“You can see it in the way her eyes light up that she is incredibly passionate about what she does. I love being able to work with her,” Hagedorn said.
Thomas first became interested in becoming an RA as a sophomore, seeking an opportunity to gain leadership experience. But it was the opportunity to be a positive role model in the lives of young women that convinced her to take on the job.
“I prayed long and hard about what I wanted to be involved in this year,” Thomas said. “In combining a leadership role with my passion for younger women, this is the perfect job. I can grow alongside my residents spiritually and academically.”
With a laugh Thomas added, “It helps that I have the best residents on campus.”
Becoming an RA was a particularly ambitious endeavor for Thomas, as she is heavily involved in her community. This year she serves as the director of the philanthropy Anchor Splash, is a junior honor board member for her sorority Delta Gamma, is the director of administration for the women’s ministry Wonderfully Made, serves on the board of directors for the service project Bus for Boyamba and works at J. Crew. While her list of activities leaves her struggling to find balance, she embraces all her activities with equal enthusiasm.
“The most challenging part has been time management, or lack thereof,” Thomas said. “Ideally, in a perfect world, I’d be here every minute of every day investing in my residents, but I have classes, I have work, I have my sorority, and I have a great group of friends that all demand my time.”
While there are difficulties, being an RA is not without its perks. Compensation includes room and board, the standard meal plan, free leadership training, and a reduced cost of laundry services. Still, her favorite part of being an RA is the invaluable relationships she has built with residents.
“Molly really leads by example. She believes in what she does and she is passionate about helping her residents,” long-time-friend Brennan Lee, a junior at Pepperdine University, said.
“I’ve known Molly for a long time, and she has always been a compassionate, energized person. But since becoming an RA, she has grown into something more. She is a role model now.”
Being so passionate about her position as RA, it comes as no surprise that her residents adore her.
“Molly is just incredible. She is so loving and caring and has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. I aspire to be like her,” Christy Panchal, a resident of White House, said.
Being an RA has helped Thomas grow and continually challenge herself, and she is grateful for the opportunity.
“No matter where I end up career wise, I know my life’s vocation is to inspire young women and help build self-esteem. Being an RA is such an incredibly unique opportunity because it gives me an outlet to do so. This is exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and I love it.”