Who aspires to be a resident assistant? Over the course of two hours, I interviewed four people applying to become RAs. All four of them answered this question in their own way.

The Aspiring RA is nervous. She stutters as she answers the interview questions. Her words come out quickly. Their rhythm matches the fast beat set by her interviewers’ typing. Her eyes flit around the room, unable to land long enough to find shelter. She glances at her interviewers, hoping to see kind eyes returning her gaze but faces disappointment instead. Their eyes are glued to their laptop screens. Recording her words takes priority over attending to her nervousness.

The Aspiring RA wants to help people. She already does. She teaches swimming. She volunteers. Friends count on her for a pick-me-up. Classmates text her to study together. Her younger siblings love her (although her brothers would never say that to her face).

The Aspiring RA is a leader and part of something bigger than herself. The swim team counts her as one of its most devoted members. The Student Government Association is made better by her input and enthusiasm for representing her community’s interests. She smiles at strangers and even weirder, she converses with them. For fun! She considers the entire college a part of her community.

The Aspiring RA does not remain nervous. Speaking about her accomplishments reminds her of who she is and why she is sitting in this small office. Her interviewers stumble over their words as they read the questions. All three of them laugh over their small mistakes, and the tension dissipates. The Aspiring RA’s voice deepens and slows as her confidence grows.

The Aspiring RA focuses on the bright side of taking care of others. She has not yet stepped into the role and felt the grounding touch of responsibility over a fellow student’s wellbeing. She is an optimist, focusing on the ways the job will benefit her and her residents. Her previous experiences and the RA training she’ll receive will help prepare her, but until she faces real situations, she’s untried and untested. Now and then, she acknowledges the sacrifices she might have to make. Her voice takes on a sing-song quality, the melody of a hypothetical that doesn’t know it’s a severe understatement.

The Aspiring RA is from a minority group. She is a woman. She is an ally. She is Black. She is African. She is American. Her sexuality remains undefined. She declares that her college is the right place for her, in part because she gets to engage with others. Some of them share her identities, others do not. Either way, she is surrounded by interesting people.

The Aspiring RA is ultimately a person. Her essence cannot be captured in a 25 minute job interview. The Aspiring RAs are people, their diversity and potential cannot be contained in any job description.

And who is the RA? The RA gets nervous, tries to help people, and leads when the situation calls for it. She rises to the occasion regardless of how confident she feels. At a PWI, she is hardly ever the majority. Her time as an RA showed her many ways to help people and taught her the importance of taking care of herself. The RA reflects on the interviews and realizes – she should write about this for her writing class.