My first experience with my RA is a little different than most. On the first day, I flopped onto my new bed in just the right way, and broke my nose on my bed post. I found myself pounding on their door at eight in the morning, they had to call the paramedics, and evidently I earned my title as “first blood” in the dorm. As the end of my freshman year is approaching at rocket speed, I realized that my time with my RA will also be coming to an end. It has truly been a wild year, and I have found myself taking the time to reflect on how appreciative I am of my RA and how grateful to have had them in my life. So this one is for you RA!
1. Thank you for all the work you put in.
From all of the beautifully colored newsletters, to the late night food runs and hall movie nights, you have always worked so hard to bring the hall together in every way possible. I will never forget piecing waffles together, studying over chips and guacamole while laughing, or the one-on-one time that you would plan with every single member of the hall just to make sure we were doing okay. Admittedly, I haven’t always attended every event, but your effort and enthusiasm never went unnoticed. At 4 in the morning while I am sleeping soundly, you are often on duty running around our housing district to answer lock outs, investigate suspicious behavior, and ensure our safety. Thank you for all of your sleepless nights, countless hours planning, and passion for our hall.
2. Thank you for always being someone I can look up to.
You have always been an open book for your hall, and have always put your previous life experiences on display for us to relate to. By doing this, we’ve seen your strength, your passion, your struggles and your triumphs. Through your struggles, you let us known that we are never alone in our own struggles, and through your triumphs, you have given us an incredible character that we can all aspire to be. In addition to dealing with a bunch of rowdy 18 year-olds, you are a student too, balancing school, social life, being an RA, being a sibling, and volunteer work. You have always been a role model for me.
3. Thank you for always being someone I can lean on.
When I broke my nose on the first day, I figured that that would be the last time I would need to reach out to you for help; I was, of course, recently 18 and knew absolutely everything. Of course I was wrong. I have spent hours in your room crying, talking, laughing, and ranting. When I needed to talk, you dropped everything to be there for me. Even when we weren’t in the hall during Winter break and you were off spending time with your family and friends, you answered my distressed facebook messages in record time. To always have such an incredible friend who was just a few doors away meant more than you’ll ever know.
4. Thank you for being someone I can learn from.
I always found myself learning when I spoke to you. You have such a wide expanse of knowledge, and you were always eager to share that with me. In addition to casual teachings, you were always eager to help me with homework, teach me new study habits, new social skills, and new life skills. I have grown immensely in the last year, and I know that you were absolutely a factor in that growth. You gave me resources that were available to me, and always helped me get my hot mess of a life together, while helping me expand my character.
5. Thank you for being one of my biggest supporters.
You were always my cheerleader! With every achievement I’ve seen over this past year, you were always there to congratulate me and celebrate with me. Through every struggle, you were there reminding me of my worth, my intelligence, my character. You always reminded me of how proud you were of me for something as small as getting an A on a paper that I worked hard on. You pumped me up, and comforted me when I was torn down. No matter what, you were always on the sidelines cheering me on!
My RA has undoubtedly been such a positive impact in my life, and I will be sad to see them go. But I feel blessed to have been able to meet them, interact with them, and befriend them. If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that they have such a bright future ahead of them, and I hope to be in their life to see it. Thank you for everything RA!
