Thoughts from Liz Matelski...
When I graduated from college, like for most graduates, I faced a crossroads
as to which profession to pursue. For myself, I questioned a future continuing
in academia or following student affairs having enjoyed my three years as a
Resident Assistant. I went to the Oshkosh Placement Exchange like so many other
RHD hopefuls, not really knowing what to expect, clutching to a handful of
interviews with universities I knew mostly through reputation. My very first
interview of the weekend however, cemented my immediate future. I had wanted
to find a full-time position as a Hall Director that offered me the opportunity
to explore other areas within Student Affairs to help later professional decisions.
I sought a private, residential, liberal arts university where I could be a
part of educating students outside of the classroom setting. I desired a campus
that communicated and cooperated with the surrounding community. I needed a
Student Affairs staff that were not only respected colleagues, but were also
my friends. Lawrence University fulfilled all of my requirements.
For two years I worked as a full-time professional at Lawrence University
and from the top down, I discovered a respect one would not expect as a
first-time
professional. This was a school that really got it – an administration
that understood the importance a residential campus plays in a student’s
education. As a Hall Director I was not just a baby-sitter or someone to entertain
students while they were not in class, but I was also an active educator. Through
hall programming, Hall Council, Residence Life Advisor training and inservices,
I could really make a difference in students’ lives. At Lawrence, I
was additionally afforded the opportunity to experience areas outside of
Residence
Life through my collateral position as the Diversity Center Programs Coordinator.
In this capacity, I could educate, empower, and engage an entirely different
student-based audience outside of the residence halls.
What strikes me about Lawrence’s mission to students is the opportunities
for education and personal growth. Learning truly takes place in and out of
the classroom setting. Leadership opportunities, outstanding programming, civic
responsibility and volunteering, empowerment, activism, diversity – all
of these words and phrases actively describe a student’s experience
at Lawrence.
There are not enough words to describe this outstanding campus community
and the people who continually strive to make it better. At Lawrence, I had
the
opportunity to work with some of the most respected professionals in the
field such as Nancy Truesdell, Dean of Students, and my immediate supervisor,
Associate
Dean of Students for Residence Life, Amy Uecke. These two women continue
to serve as role models, motivators, and educators for both students and
young
professionals. The ten-week terms create an ever-changing campus atmosphere
whose influence reaches beyond the classroom. The students at Lawrence are
intensely involved with campus life and their studies with student leaders
emerging from every hall and house. Because of the residential nature of
campus and the cooperation between various departments, I quickly could call
my Hall
Director peers my friends, not just colleagues. Through yearlong professional
training, you become intimate not only with your own hall staff and hall
directors, but also the close-knit Student Affairs staff as well. My former
residents,
Hall Director friends, and former supervisors truly made my two years at
Lawrence remarkable.
Although I am no longer in the Student Affairs profession and have chosen
to pursue academia instead, I know that my work and experiences at Lawrence
University
will continue to shape my character and influence my future endeavors. The
friendships and connections I have made at Lawrence will last me a lifetime.
As a future professor, I will apply my experiences as a Hall Director at Lawrence University knowing that college students should be afforded educational opportunities outside of the professional classroom. At Lawrence you come to realize that this vision is not just a theory, but that the Student Affairs staff makes it a reality.
Liz Matelski
Plantz Hall Director, 2003-2005