Residence Life is seeking responsible, hardworking and creative students interested in connecting with other students and administrators to bolster the Goshen College community as a whole. Leadership positions such as resident assistant, ministry leader and Campus Activities Council member are not only a great way to get involved, but they also have endless benefits for the future. Not only do these experiences look great on a résumé, but leaders are a valued commodity in the job market.

According to Assistant Director Katie Dwyer-Zeman, “Being a student leader provides you with the space to learn about yourself and others, teaches you to both grow in autonomy and work with a team and gives you the opportunity to learn new things…which are all greatly beneficial [for] your future.”

The post of resident assistant (RA) is a leadership position that upholds Goshen's community standards and values through positive relationships. To build relationships on their floor and on the wider campus, RAs host individual floor events and work together to hold larger campus wide events, such as Open Mic Night.

“Effective RAs are interested in getting to know other students and staff members,” said Dwyer-Zeman. “They are fun-loving, dedicated, committed to upholding the community standards, mature, positive, creative, dependable and courageous.”

Chris Moon, sophomore and current RA, has learned a lot about himself and his values through as an RA. “Being an RA makes you learn how to problem solve, be responsible and work well with others,” said Moon. “Probably the most important thing to remember is to be respectful of others’ values, especially if they are different from your own.” There are currently 12 RA positions available for current first-years living on campus next year.

Ministry leaders (ML) work alongside RAs to maintain community standards and hold some campus events, but perform a slightly different function offering spiritual support for those on campus. MLs should be “spiritually mature, responsible and dedicated” people who are able to create a welcoming, spiritual atmosphere on the floor.

“This is a great opportunity for students to grow in their skills of leadership, listening and organization,” says Bob Yoder, campus pastor. “Those interested in growing in their own faith and exploring possible ministry interests should consider applying.”

Emma Koop-Liechty, a sophomore and current ML, said, “To be an ML, you don't have to be exceptionally religious or insightful, but you should be comfortable with Christianity and one-on-one conversations.” To her, the best part of the job is, “meeting new people and making lots of friends. Also, it's really cool to have a positive impact on others and be involved in campus life.” There are currently 12 ML positions available for current first-years living on campus next year.

If you are creative, fun and have great ideas for campus events like Kick-off, then Campus Activities Counsel (CAC) is for you. CAC's main focus is to have a positive effect on students through campus-wide Goshen College events.

“We have the opportunity to work on creating a fun and inclusive community here at Goshen College,” says sophomore and current CAC member Sarah Hofkamp. “CAC involves a lot of planning and hard work, but it's crazy and fun!” There are currently 4 positions available for next year and they are available for all students, not just current first-years.

Being a student leader takes serious dedication and time. However, if these positions sound interesting, be sure to attend the informational meeting Thursday, February 12 at 10 p.m. given by the current resident directors and student leaders. Applications for all positions are due March 6. Additional information is available online at https://www.goshen.edu/campuslife/applications/.