- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
My STEP Signature project was interning at Hanover College where I was the Summer Hall Director where I handled roommate conflict and planned programs for the summer residence. I also worked in the Student Life Office where I assisted the Associate Dean of Students in preparing the campus for the upcoming school year.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
Going into this internship I didn’t know what to expect since I was so used to working at OSU where everything was on such a large school and Hanover is a private college, so everything is much smaller and more detailed. I think the main thing that changed for me is my knowledge about what really goes into preparing a campus for the upcoming school year. It isn’t all bright colorful posters and room assignments. It is meeting after meeting and thinking about every possibility on ever topic. When I attended meetings with the student life staff, they brought up topics and questions that I never would have thought about it, but because they have been in their position so long, they have seen a lot of things and this helps them make informed decisions and prepare for any issues that may arise.
Another view of mine that changed is my appreciation for maintenance and grounds people. One of the residence halls on campus was being remolded so the lasts could weeks before I left, I spent my days moving in furniture and setting up residence hall rooms. I did not realize how much work, time and effort goes into setting up a new residence hall. I watched and seen how attention they put into details of making sure everything is perfect for the incoming class. It really gave me a new appreciation for every person on a college campus and what they do to make sure everything is ready, and the semester runs smoothly.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
Like I mentioned above attending meetings and being part of the set-up process really shaped my views on how much we should appreciate every person that works on a college campus. I made a good connection with my supervisor who is the Associate Dean of Students and during my time there we talked a lot about things that are inevitable each semester. Even though I helped with a lot of things there were still things that I didn’t see so something that we talked about was conflict management.
My supervisor was the person who sent out the final room assignments and when people aren’t happy with the room, they get they get upset. Then they call her and see gets to handle it. However, she did give me some insight because the best way is to send the assignments out on a Friday evening and give people the weekend to calm down over the situation and then when they call on Monday, they are a lot more understanding and willing to listen. There are still those that are upset about it but once she explains why they got the room they got then they are usually okay with it and understand it isn’t out of spite, but how their final payments and how it is first come first serve. Therefore, if you submit your payment first then there is a good chance you will get a better room. Conflict management is a lot of her job, so she shared a lot of tips and tricks with me since it is something I will most likely deal with in the future.
Another person I became close to over the summer was the event manager. Who is in charge in setting up stages, chairs, tables etc. for events across campus? Since there weren’t any events over the summer, they gave him the tasks of setting up the furniture in the new remolded residence hall that I mentioned above. We talked a lot about the things he does during the school year. Usually when you go to an event the tables and chairs are already there and set up and you don’t really think about how they got there. But someone had to do it and that’s where their event manager comes into set stuff up and tear it down. After helping move furniture all summer I have a new appreciation for these people because it is hard and tiring work. Just constantly moving things up and down steps and into and out of trucks. These people have a lot of stamina and I plan to always tell these people thank you when I see them out doing things for any event, I am part of because I appreciate them even more now.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans
Personally, I love seeing how things work. I love seeing behind the scenes of things and getting an idea of how they work. Spending my summer doing just that proved to me that there are so many more moving parts to a college campus than what people realize. There are decisions constantly being made and things constantly changing to make it the best that it can be for the students. I loved talking to everyone and just learning more about colleges in general and how the decisions are made.
Professionally, my goal is to get my master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Therefore, this experience was very helpful in seeing the things that we don’t always realize happens when students are off campus. I got to see just how much thought goes into every meeting and how many things are considered before making a firm decision. Getting to talk and interact with different student life staff gave me a better sense of what department and area I am interested in working in during my future career.
