Last year Barbara Hernandez-Walton, a 19 year-old sophomore, was a commuter but this year she is living on campus as a Resident Assistant (RA).  Hernandez-Walton first heard about being an RA through some on-campus friends who wanted to apply for the position.

Hernandez-Walton decided to apply as well because she “thought it would be really fun to live in the dorms and experience being on campus.”

The start of her year has proved to be just as fun as she expected it to be.

“I see myself as a freshman still,” Hernandez-Walton said when she talked about meeting new people and participating in GC events.

As a commuter, Hernandez-Walton used to go to class, go to the commuter lounge and then go home. She would not often go to Java Junction or participate in campus events, which is why she describes living in the dorms and living off campus as being “two different worlds.”

One thing that surprised her about living on campus was the number of events going on at Goshen. As a commuter, she did not always know about events going on, but now she finds herself planning many of them.

“I’m trying to get commuters to come to events because I know what it’s like to be a commuter,” Hernandez-Walton said.

Hernandez-Walton noted that life on campus is very different from living at her house, and she has formed a few new habits such as working out more often, staying up late and eating more food.  Hernandez-Walton regrets that she has not spent much time at home since the start of school due to being busy.

“It’s very convenient to have my parents here [in Goshen] when I want to talk to them or when I want to see my dog,” she said.

She also likes to go home sometimes to eat her mom’s tacos.

Hernandez-Walton gives a shout-out to the commuters, advising them to not “be afraid to come over and hang out.  It can be scary, but once you’re here, you’ll see that we don’t bite.”

Hernandez-Walton does realize that many commuters have other jobs and commitments that are important as well, but she encourages them to come to events and try to be on-campus as much as possible.