Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Spring/Summer 2017 | Page 20

running LIFE
CAMPUS
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Left: Peer Advisory Council (PAC) member Zabrinnah Ayers and resident
assistant Maia Wyncoll welcome new students during move-in day.
Above: Students cross the lawn from the suites to Childs Hall.
mentors. Each student wrote a per-
sonal invitation to a professor they
appreciated, inviting them to an
outdoor barbecue. The event was
a hit! Jenny said, “Everyone had
a great time. Seeing all the teach-
ers there enjoying time with stu-
dents – it was just one of the cutest
things I’ve ever seen.”
In addition to the joys of
residence life, just like in all good
relationships, challenges arise. Ac-
cording to Jenny, these challenges
offer potent learning opportuni-
ties. To new students moving onto
campus for the first time, Jenny
often asks, “How do you picture
your experience in residence life?”
Most students think it will be fun
and a great place to meet friends.
While certainly true, Jenny gives
the students a dose of practicality:
“There’s no way you can be here
nine months and not have a chal-
lenge.” But not to worry! She adds,
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“Just because you’re being chal-
lenged, doesn’t mean your experi-
ence is bad. As staff, we are here to
support you through whatever you
need – roommate troubles, confu-
sion about rules and guidelines, or
just to offer a listening ear.” She
says, “We want students to know
that they can always ask for help.”
In order to create a positive
relationship with students, Jenny
and her staff do Monday night res-
idence hall “walk-throughs.” Jenny
explained, “Often we’ll strike up
a conversation, and even through
small talk, we begin to build a re-
lationship. That way, when things
are challenging, the avenues of
communication are already open.
If they’re having a bad day or an
emergency, they know that we’re
there for them, and they are more
likely to reach out to us.”
For Bryn Athyn College,
gathering a team of residence life
workers who are committed to the
students is paramount. Jenny said,
“Whenever we hire residence life
managers, we look for people who
are in it for the students. We want
people who care about connect-
ing and fostering a community
that helps students grow. Our cur-
rent managers exemplify this ap-
proach. They are willing to go the
extra mile for a student, but will
also model good behavior and set
good boundaries for themselves
and for the students.”
Residence hall manager El-
wyn “Bri” Kern (BS ’07) said, “I
feel very lucky to be here. I have
always loved working with people
and helping them learn to navi-
gate life and relationships, which
I get to do in a very direct way in
this position. It’s exciting working
with college students because it
has the potential to impact the rest
of their lives in remarkable ways,