As residential advisors, we are required to host a community engagement event for our residents every month. For our first month, the nine RAs in Bennet decided to host a building-wide event together. Initially, we were full of ideas and eager to participate. However, with the busy first few weeks of classes, our group neglected to dedicate enough time to plan the event and submit purchase requests for materials to our supervisor.
As the deadline approached, our supervisor spoke with us in a group meeting, reprimanding us for our untimely behavior and insisting we figure out something before the deadline. Recognizing that it was a collective oversight, I decided to step up and rally the group. While we were all gathered, I organized a brainstorming session to develop a solid action plan.
A few others took the initiative to create flyers for the event and locate supplies we already had in storage. I took on the role of delegating tasks, ensuring that everyone knew their responsibilities, and kept us on track by posting reminders in our group chat. We worked efficiently, communicating openly and supporting each other to meet the deadline.
By the time the event came, despite the rush, it turned out to be a surprisingly successful effort. We were pleased to see a good number of students show up and engage with our activities. This experience demonstrated our ability to pull together as a team under pressure. However, we did acknowledge that we might have had more student engagement had we communicated effectively and planned for the event earlier. Moving forward, we decided that hosting events for our respective floors rather than attempting large-scale events would allow us to create more meaningful community events and build stronger connections with our residents.
This experience taught me the importance of early planning and effective teamwork. It also highlighted my ability to step up in challenging situations, delegate tasks, and ensure the timely completion of group responsibilities. It reinforced the value of communication, organization, and collaboration in overcoming obstacles and achieving shared goals.
