Meet Mia Shute, a senior biological sciences major, psychology minor, and honors student who earns free housing through her job as a Community Assistant, formerly known as Resident Assistants in student housing. Mia is from Mullica Hill, NJ (Gloucester County), located about 15 minutes away from Rowan. She lived in Holly Pointe this past year as a Community Assistant (CA) and will live in the Whitney Center as a CA this year.
“The Best of Both Worlds”:
“I have the opportunity to be immersed in the ‘college experience’ by living on campus. I get to live away from home while still being close enough to home that I can see my family. Living away from home sparks my independence and coincides with my own personal development without living far away from home. I wanted to have the personal satisfaction of feeling that I could stand on my own feet.”
Involvement in Campus Activities:
“I wanted to live on campus because I wanted to be involved in campus life as much as possible without the extra work and time that it takes to commute to school.
“I am a Community Assistant (CA) who works with over 40 residents, organizes programs/events for my residents, and designs bulletin boards and door decorations for them. In this position, I help my residents adapt to living on campus while addressing any questions or concerns.
“This role has allowed me to spread my wings while allowing me to be compensated financially for living on campus. This helps with the cost of housing, and it has helped me become more involved. I love this job, and I would recommend it to others. It is an amazing opportunity to be able to live on campus and it makes for a great growing experience.
“I am also a member of the John H. Martinson Honors College where I am a Bantivoglio Leadership and Service Training (BLAST) Mentor. Through this program, I mentor incoming honors students and help them navigate their transition into the honors college. I am also the new Secretary for the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) club!”
Enhanced Communication & Time Management:
“I can balance my time on campus by trying to set aside times in advance such as a few times a week to go home, and I communicate clearly with my loved ones about this. The nights when I am working or when I have an event that I want to attend, I try to schedule them first, so that I can prioritize things in my schedule.”
Information on applying to become a Community Assistant is on the Rowan Housing website.
Written by: Jordyn Dauter, senior double major in dance & elementary education
Photos by: Valentina Giannattasio