Summer 2024

Hello Georgia Housing Officers!

It has been far too long since we have been able to touch base. As we all know, this time of year brings every possibility under the proverbial sun to our forefront and our attention. Whether it be wrapping up camps and conferences, winding down the RA training path as we get closer and closer to them returning, or walking through the same problem space every day to ensure no unwanted or unnecessary surprises has risen over the night, I know we as Housing Officers are doing the absolute most to ensure our move-in season goes off without a hitch!

As we prepare for a new year full of new experiences, possibilities, and opportunities, we cannot forget about reflecting on everything that the past year has brought. No matter if you have been in this field one year, three years, or ten years, each new year and new move-in season brings with it some new form of grievances that we had not dealt with. Personally, that is what I love about this field. I never have to worry about becoming content because there is always something new to learn or intake to better yourself as a growing professional. However, there are always other ways to better yourself outside of the normal chaos that you will automatically endure as the season starts. I was fortunate enough myself to take advantage of one of these amazing opportunities this year when I was selected to be a part of the RELI cohort of 2024!

RELI, or the Regional Entry Level Institute, kicked off in Raleigh, North Carolina this year at NC State on June 3rd and went through June 8th. One thing I can tell you is that drive was looooong but more than worth it! After heading out on my seven-hour journey and finally making my arrival, I instantly fell in love. To be fair, it is hard keeping up with the amazing beauty our state offers, but the RELI chairs, staff, and the amazing NC State staff were sure to show off all the marvelous amenities that North Carolina had to offer during our week-long adventure. The accommodations, the food, and the energy was completely unmatched, and the experience created a newfound respect for our field and also made me even more excited to begin the year with a new and fresh outlook!

For those that are not familiar with RELI, allow me to shed some light. RELI is an entry level, week long institute for new professionals only, meaning an applicant must be within their first three years of their professional career. Unlike larger conferences, such as SEAHO, this institute is amazing for those new professionals that are looking for a more personalized experience and insight into different aspects of the field one might experience as they climb, or it is a great opportunity for one to determine if their passion truly lies within higher education and are comfortable remaining in the field and making it a longer career path. No matter what the reasoning is, RELI is an opportunity no new professional should miss.

The process to applying for and attending RELI are very simple. Once the registration opens, you must supply a current resume, two letters of support-one from your supervisor and the other from your Director, and answers to a series of questions regarding your reasoning for wanting to attend RELI and how it would benefit you and your institution. For me, these questions were a no-brainer! I had heard of RELI before and was eager to go. I had planned to apply the year prior in 2023, but unfortunately, I just would not have had the time that summer. Because of that, I had a year to think about why I wanted to attend RELI and why it was important to me. I have known my passion is within Housing, and I know I want to do everything I can to become to most capable professional I can for my students, my team, and myself. Being accepted into this prestigious institute was an immense honor and privilege, and I cannot lie, gave me a bit of an ego boost to have been accepted among all the overly qualified applicants. I then learned about and applied for a scholarship opportunity to have all registration fees covered as well through our great organization, GHO. My ego then grew more once I found out that I had been awarded the scholarship! The process for the scholarship is similar to the process for RELI aside from also explaining how my attending RELI would benefit our great state as well. If I can give one piece of advice if you plan to go this route for a chance at attending RELI, be as honest and open as possible within your answers. We all understand the highs and lows that come with this field, and we all understand the importance of needing support in those crucial times. However, it is harder to gain that support and trust without being open and remaining true to your intentions, so do not be afraid to be open and vulnerable with your answers if this is truly something you would want to do. And of course, if anyone ever wants to know what RELI is like or if they are not sure if it would be right for them, feel free to hit me up! I would be more than happy to talk more about my amazing experience and the long-lasting connections I made during my time with my astounding new cohort.

As the summer winds down and residents slowly begin to trickle in over the coming weeks as the inevitable big day arrives, we have to be sure we remember why we do this. I am constantly asked how I deal with weeks of consistent chaos during the move-in season from friends and family. However, this chaos is normal for me. To be clear, I always encourage everyone to take care of themselves and make time for themselves and loved ones. I also stress to my students and colleagues the importance of finding your “why” for whatever you do. Once you can identify that, every choice you make comes easier. My why is simple: I love what I do. That may seem like a simplistic answer, but it is the truest answer I can give to that question. I fell in love with this field when I was still in undergrad as an RA.

For a quick story, I was frantically studying for my last final of the year. I was beyond overwhelmed and was near a breaking point. During this time, I had completely ignored my residents to focus on what I needed. They understood and gave me my space to study, but it was hard. I had a strong bond with my residents this year. We had built a strong community and sense of brotherhood that radiated through the halls. Just as I neared my breaking point, I realized I was not taking care of myself. I closed my books and messaged my residents to meet me for a random late night “program,” which was really just my excuse to hangout and catch up with everyone. It was amazing. We got food, played some games, watched some movies, and called it a night. It was not a lot or even long, but it was just what I needed. I also realized it was what my residents needed as I was not the only one dealing with the overbearing stress that comes with finals week. I then went in the next morning and aced my final, making the highest grade in the class!

It was at that time that I realized how important the connections you make in this field are. Whether it be a student, worker, or colleague, the connections we make helps keep us centered. The connections we make help keep us focused and are often the voices of reason when we forget or lose sight or our “why.” I love what I do. I love the connections I have made. I love creating environments for students who were like me in order to give them a community where they can realize their potential and their passion while feeling safe, comfortable, and welcomed. That is my “why” and my reason for giving so much to this field because it has given so much to me in return. Through friends, colleagues, and memories, this field has shaped my life for the better, and I will forever be grateful. As we inch closer to the start of the Fall, I would like to leave you with this quote from Pearl S. Buck: "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word—excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." With that in mind, go out and do what you love and enjoy and never forget to reach for excellence as you do so!

November 2023

Hello once again Georgia Housing Officers!

It seems as though I was just congratulating everyone for a successful and completed move-in season, and now, we are preparing for the end of the Fall semester! Where has the time gone? With a snap of a finger, we have seemingly jumped from, “Welcome back home to campus,” to, “Okay, time to go home for a month and give us a break.” It has definitely been an interesting year for all within our field and also our state as well. Within the last couple of months, I am sure we have seen some piece of the proverbial fan be hit by some sort of situation or issue that yet again, we either did not think we would deal with or could never have predicted would be an issue. Whether it be issues stemming from pettiness, lack of funding, furniture, facilities, entitlement, or some sort of combination from all things listed or things not, this semester has brought new and interesting challenges. However, with new challenges also brings new opportunities to grow, learn, and further our sense of accomplishment after tackling these new or reoccurring issues. These opportunities also open new chances for us to grow and further our outreach within the state as well, and what better example could we have for this besides being able to continue the annual Georgia Housing Officers (GHO) conference!

After being able to hold GHO for the first time in 3 years in 2022, we were so excited to have different institutions jump at the opportunity to host for 2023. Once Columbus State University was chosen and planning began, I found myself feeling like a kid during the holiday season again and was simply waiting for all the planning and coordinating to finally come together for the best final product it could be. Last year, it felt so different. I felt as though I had a taste of what it was like being a parent during the holidays rather than a kid. All the planning, coordinating, organizing, ordering, purchasing, and anything else one could think of was stressful. Was it fun? Of course! But, being the driving force behind something that was so fragile did add more fuel to that anxiety ridden fire. However, that fire was soon quenched as soon as we had all our wonderful GHO members arrive on campus and seeing the joy only a true in-person conference could bring. Seeing the final product of months of stress was well worth every second put into it and made me so hopeful of the years to come. With that being said, our wonderful colleagues from Columbus State University did not let us down with their amazing efforts in hosting GHO 2023!

GHO kicked off this year in the beautiful city of Columbus on October 5th and lasted until the afternoon of the 6th. In total, we had 84 participants registered for the conference with 100 attending in total that included representatives from 9 corporate sponsors. There was a total of 16 programs that were presented that went over topics such as self-care, leadership opportunities, RA training practices, fostering growth within higher education, cultural awareness, student development, campus partnerships, transferable skill practices, communication, staff retention, and recruiting. From all of these programs, one was chosen as GHO’s Peach of a Program, which serves as the top-rated program for the conference. This year’s Peach of a Program winner was Shelby Joiner for her program Strong Together: Don’t Miss the Moment! Along with the Peach of the Program Award, GHO also recognized 6 other awards and their recipients. The Outstanding Professional Award was awarded to Andrew Pasch of Georgia Institute of Technology. The Vickie Hawkins Outstanding New Professional Award was awarded to yours truly, Trint Benefield of Mercer University, which I am still in shock about! The Graduate Assistant Award of Excellence was awarded to Chyna Anderson of Georgia Southern University. The Georgia Gee Whiz Award was awarded to Academic Success Seminar from Middle Georgia State University. The Contribution to Campus Award was awarded to the Graduate Assistant Placement Program (GAPP) from Georgia Southern University. Finally, the Outstanding Support Staff Member Award was awarded to Bianca Colbert of Georgia Institute of Technology. Congratulations to all award winners! We hope this small token of appreciation shows that all the hard work you do for your department, institution, and state does not go unrecognized and is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all your continued hard work and dedication.

As the end of the Fall is closing in and yet another Spring semester and new year is creeping up far too soon than what anyone is prepared for, I am again reminded why it is we do what we do. This year has given me a greater chance to reflect on why I went into student affairs and more specifically, housing and residence life. I love what I do. I love why I do it. I love where I am doing it. This field is not for the faint of heart. It is a field that is full of twists, turns, changes, updates, and transitions. The same student affairs that we all worked in, in less than a year ago is different than what it is now, and it takes special individuals to not only overcome these different forms of upheavals but also find success while navigating them. At times, it can be hard identifying that success while looking at it from the inside. If you are at that point, take a step back. Be sure you are looking at your place and your efforts from all angles. I am constantly reminded that we are always our own worse critics in anything we do. There is this driving force that pushes us to be better in everything we do; so much so that we often lose sight of the things we are doing and the accomplishments we have achieved.

Recently, I read a reply from a group member within a student affairs online group. The member was replying to a post that an anonymous member looking for words of encouragement had posted because they felt as though they were not meeting the standards of their position due to feeling as though they never had enough time to do what was required along with what they would like to do. The reply I saw read, “You should focus on the things you are capable of, not the things you wish you were capable of.” Each person in this field is different. Each person’s journey has been different. What you are capable of now may not be what you wish you were capable of but that does not mean you are uncapable. Give yourself that time. Give yourself that leeway. Once you have done that and realize that you deserve some of the slack you may give to those around you, you will exceed your own limitations and see what you could truly be capable of. Stand tall, stand proud, and know that you are a pillar in your department whether you feel as though are or not. Good luck in the new year and semester, and I hope that you learn something new about yourself and your capabilities and exceed those expectations you have for yourself!

September 2023

Hello Georgia Housing Officers!

You did it! Move-In has come and gone for another year and you are still standing! If you have not, give yourself a pat on the back, a reaffirming acknowledgment of gratitude, or just an uplifting, “Way to go!” This time of year always gets overbearing and hectic for all of us within Housing and Student Affairs. In the blink of an eye, it seems as though we just finished Move-Out, started addressing summer projects and camps, got through pro-staff related training, finalized and executed RA training, then immediately jumped head first into the beast that is Fall Move-In. In an unnoticeable fraction of a second, the thousands of students you just moved out of the halls were already knocking at the door to be move back in with the beginning of the academic year. Where was our break? Didn’t they just leave? There is no way it has already been three months! But alas, it has. The semester unfortunately waits for no one, and sadly, this goes double for those of us within Housing and Student Affairs.

However, does this deter or dissuade us from our mission? Of course not! We are the backbones of our campuses whether you see that or not. What other department can manage the move in of thousands of residents over the course of three to five-day period? What other department can answer the same question 100,000 times to both residents and parents regardless of how many emails have been sent or fliers been posted? What other departments do not get to finish at 5 PM on move in day since our jobs do not end simply because our residents are back on campus? For us, that is when the fun begins. That is when we get to put all of our newfound knowledge and experience gained from the previous year to good use. That is when those of us who are new to the field finally get our boots on the ground and begin discovering who we are not only as a professional but also as a representative of your department and school as well. The start of the new academic year brings with it so many possibilities and excitement, both within your campus and the state as well.

With that in mind, I am happy to announce that GHO will be held yet again this year! After the success of hosting the conference for the first time in over three years last year, we were excited to have multiple institutions interested in hosting GHO this year. GHO will be held at Columbus State University this year from October 5th – October 6th. Registration is currently open on our website. You will be able to register for the conference, submit program proposals for presenting, and also submit GHO award nominations. Nominations and program proposals will be open until September 18th. If you have a plethora of knowledge that you would wish to share or have an outstanding colleague that you believe deserves recognition for the work they have been doing for your department, please consider submitting any proposals and nominations. If you would like to get involved with GHO in any shape, form, or fashion, be sure you reach out to our acting President, Dr. Christian Wells!

As we move deeper into the Fall, I know times will tougher, days will longer, and the complaints can become overwhelming. Despite this, remember why we are here and why we do what we do. We didn’t choose this profession to punch in and punch out in a set time frame, although, that would be nice. We didn’t choose this profession because we expected to climb quickly for a promotion. We definitely didn’t choose this profession to become rich beyond our wildest dreams. We chose this profession because it is what we want to do. We chose this profession because it was what we were meant to do. More importantly, we chose this profession because we know what it takes. No one understands the trials and tribulations we as housing officers go through on a day to day basis other than other housing officers. The constant meetings, the constant checks, the constant follow-ups on incidents, the constant feeling of combative residents and parents condemning us for doing our jobs to the best of our abilities. Despite these selective downs, it can never outshine those even more effective ups. The feeling when you connect with a resident and can noticeably make a difference in their experience on campus. The feeling when you see that exact moment in your residents’ eyes when you have taught them something much more pertinent to their lives than what they would learn in a classroom. The feeling of connecting with your student workers and watching them grow and mature under your supervision while they prepare for their lives after graduating. And nothing can ever compare to the little notes and mementos I find randomly that has been left for me from a colleague or student worker that offers uplifting words of encouragement.

If no one has told you yet, I am proud of you for making it through move-in. I am proud of you for putting in those hours that exceed a typical forty-hour work week. I am proud of you for taking care of yourself during a very stressful and chaotic time. I am proud of you for remembering the why to what we do and letting that carry you through the chaos. I am proud of you for remaining vigilant. I am proud of you for being a team player. And of course, I am proud of you for being a Georgia Housing Officer.

I will leave you with a quote to remember while diving head first into the Fall semester: “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot. With that in mind, let’s get ready at the starting line together and carry one another toward one finish line after another while remembering that it is indeed not a sprint, but a yielding marathon run with all of our wonderful colleagues spread throughout the state.

April 2023

Hello Georgia Housing Officers! It is April…doesn’t seem real does it? It seems like it was just yesterday we were all finishing RA training, doing last-minute checks and walkthroughs to see what unforeseen issues arose the night before move-in, answering the same questions 1,001 and times to residents and parents alike, and facing the familiar chaos that comes with the start of a new semester. One thing I have learned being a housing officer within higher education is finding the fun and comfortability within the chaos. A new year always brings new experiences, new chances to learn, new chances to fail, and my favorite, new chances to make connections. Connections have always been an essential part of higher education, whether it be with new residents, student workers, or colleagues. These connections are what help us do our jobs more effectively since they are a key component of our foundation building. Having this foundation allows us to expand on our network of resources throughout the institution, state, or even region, and of course, there is no better way to broaden these connections than with conferences that allow us to meet both new and old colleagues from all over the southeast region. With that said, we could not finish out the school year without highlighting the best conference for new and seasoned professionals alike, the Southeastern Association of Housing Officers (SEAHO)!

SEAHO 2023 kicked off in Richmond, Virginia this year and took place between February 27th and March 3rd. Housing officers from all over the southeast filled the streets with over 700 registered participants! I always find myself in awe whenever SEAHO comes around. This being my third time attending SEAHO, I had no idea what to expect, and that is always the most thrilling part about it. Every year there is a new location, new participants, new vendors, new places to explore, new presentations, and new chances to meet amazing colleagues. No one understands what housing officers go through better than other housing officers. That is why I never felt bad if I had to step out of a presentation or conversation to address something from my institution simply because the work and issues never stop simply because we are not there. This sentiment is further proven when you consider how many professionals you would see grinding away on their computers or one of their multiple phones while addressing something only they could do even though they are hundreds of miles away.

Although attending a conference of this magnitude comes with its stressors, i.e. being away for a prolonged period of time or traveling such long distances, SEAHO is something I look forward to every year. It almost comes off as a reward and not for the obvious reasons. Yes, we are able to be away from our institutions and not be directly in the action for a week, but as mentioned before, the work and issues don’t stop just because we aren’t there. The biggest reward comes in the new connections being made. I have had the amazing pleasure of working with and meeting some of the best people I have ever known simply because I attended the conference. I leave for every conference with a bag full of business cards and love coming back with much, much fewer than what I left with. SEAHO is a time for all of us to take a break from the hectic day-to-day of on-campus life, so we may come together to share our stories, experience, and guidance to help one another grow and prosper in a field that we have chosen to dedicate our time and effort to because it is where our passions lie. With another SEAHO in the books, time to plan, prepare, and get excited for the conference again in Spring 2024!

On top of SEAHO being a rounding success, we were able to bring some new changes to our wonderful state of Georgia as we prepare to finish out this school year and see what the next will bring. The biggest changes being within our own Georgia Housing Officers (GHO) executive board! The first change comes with our position of president. Although our now former President, Dr. Christian Wells, has courageously headed GHO for the last three years, she has graciously decided to step down to allow new leadership to come forward to allow GHO to continue to prosper and grow within this new post-COVID world we are navigating. We would like to congratulate and welcome our new GHO President, Jalesha Turner Davis from Georgia State University! Jalesha has worked within the state of Georgia for seven years and fun fact, she marched in the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a broken foot! She says it was worth meeting Mary J. Blige and CeeLo Green. Welcome aboard Jalesha! Our next change comes within the Vice President Position. We would like to welcome and congratulate Dr. Corey Langston from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College! Dr. Langston has worked within the state of Georgia for eight and half years and fun fact, he is infatuated with Apple products. Even though I personally prefer Android products, I cannot wait to see what Dr. Langston will bring to the GHO board and look forward to working with him!

With the end of the school year quickly encroaching on us, it is time to begin looking forward to what comes next. What might that be? I have no idea. As we know, higher education could change overnight with some new policy or practice coming in. What I do know is that we keep moving forward and we keep thriving. We lean on one another and look to one another for support when things get overwhelming and stressful. Never be afraid to reach out and ask for help, whether it be with a professional or personal issue, and trust your colleagues to be that pillar that you need to stay standing, and trust the foundation that you have created with all the connections you have made. When I think of housing officers, I am reminded by a quote from Robin McKinley, “But their strength is the strength of numbers and of stubbornness and persistence; do not underestimate it.” If there is one thing we as housing officers are, it is persistent. We fight and push through all ups and downs in order to provide the best atmosphere we can for our students. Although I cannot speak for every housing officer when it comes to stubbornness, I have met enough officers to know that stubbornness is a key component that allows us to not only complete our job but also go that extra mile when needed, even when it isn’t asked or expected. We as housing officers remain strong, proud, and most importantly, supported. We have the numbers. We have the persistence. We have the stubbornness. Make use of your opportunities and connections made in order to watch yourself grow as a professional and also as a person, and you just may surprise yourself with what you are capable of!