By NCTA News
As students arrive at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture for a new academic year, there will be plenty to learn: new classes, new schedules, new faces and, for many, a new place to call home.
Fortunately, they will not have to figure it all out alone.
NCTA’s Resident Assistants, or RAs, are fellow students who play an important role in campus life. They help students adjust to living away from home, answer questions, plan activities, encourage involvement and help create the sense of community that makes a residence hall more than simply a place to live.
For this year’s RAs, connection and belonging are at the heart of that role.
Ailey Marburger, a second-year Veterinary Technology and Equine Health student from Malvern, Iowa, became an RA to help students feel welcome and to develop “a community that feels like a home away from home.” This year, she hopes to bring fun, community and friendship to the students in her residence hall.
Ann Prigge, a second-year Veterinary Technology student from Surprise, Nebraska, also values the close community that comes with NCTA’s small campus. She became an RA to get to know more students and make deeper connections. She hopes residents know she can be a source of comfort, a listening ear and someone who will help however she can.
For Shay Burian, a second-year Agribusiness Management and Livestock Production student from Manning, North Dakota, being an RA is another way to help students connect. Burian enjoys being able to see her friends every day and having everything on campus within walking distance. She hopes to create a residence hall environment that is fun, supportive and respectful.
Those connections can be especially important during the first few weeks of college, when students are learning to navigate a new environment while adjusting to being away from home.
Montana Dietz, a second-year Equine Management student from Sutton, Nebraska, became an RA in part to get out of her own room, interact with more people and find a sense of purpose beyond academics. She hopes to give residents a sense of security and belonging.
Her advice to new students is a reminder that nearly everyone around them is experiencing some of the same emotions.
“Everyone is also new here,” Dietz said. “You really aren’t alone. Everyone moved away and is nervous, and that is okay.”
Savannah Hall, a second-year Agriculture Business and Animal Science student from Ekalaka, Montana, remembers getting to know the RAs during her first year and wanted to become that same welcoming face for someone else. She hopes to encourage quieter students to get outside of their comfort zones and try something new.
“Living on campus is a great step as we move into adulthood because everyone is away from home, so nobody is alone,” Hall said.
Emma Huntley, a second-year Animal Science student from Arlington, Nebraska, also wanted the opportunity to meet new people, make connections and serve as a leader on campus. Her goal is to bring joy and peace to her residence hall while being a familiar and safe person students can talk to when they need someone.
Huntley encourages new students to spend time outside their rooms and in the residence hall common areas.
“This is where you will meet everyone and meet your best friends,” she said.
That willingness to reach out is something Tyrell Homm, a third-year Irrigation Technician student from Burlington, Colorado, also hopes to encourage. Homm wanted to become an RA so he could interact more with students. As a third-year student, he hopes to use his experience and knowledge of NCTA to help those who are new to campus.
His advice is simple: get out, make friends, go to activities and enjoy the memories made along the way.
Dalton Casper, a second-year Agribusiness student from Rocky Ford, Colorado, saw becoming an RA as an opportunity to take on a leadership position. He enjoys NCTA’s small size and the many opportunities students have to join clubs and spend time with friends. Casper hopes to help create a fun atmosphere in the residence halls and encourages new students to talk to as many people as possible.
Leadership was also a motivation for Micaiah Barber, a second-year Agribusiness student from McCook, Nebraska. Barber appreciates the tight-knit NCTA community and the connections students are able to make. As an RA, he wants the students in his hall to have a great NCTA experience that includes both academics and campus life.
Clare Miltenberger, a second-year Animal Science student from Stratton, Colorado, came to the RA role with previous leadership experience and wanted an opportunity to continue developing those skills. What she values most about NCTA is building connections that can last long after college. She hopes to get to know everyone in her hall and create a safe and fun atmosphere.
Miltenberger also wants new students to know their RAs are there when things get difficult.
“Get out of your room, make connections, make the best out of any situation,” she said. “Us RAs are here to help you through tough times.”
Jamie Strobel, a second-year Veterinary Technology student from Bethune, Colorado, became an RA because she wanted to help involve more Vet Tech students in campus activities and create events where everyone can participate. She loves the close residence hall community and living alongside some of her best friends. This year, she hopes to bring more life into the common areas and create an environment residents enjoy.
Paisley Zodrow, a second-year Veterinary Technology student from Arapahoe, Nebraska, also wants students to make the most of their college experience. She hopes to bring students out of their shells, continue traditions and create new ones along the way.
Her advice to new students is to make connections and embrace the people they meet.
“You could make a second family here at college,” Zodrow said.
While each RA brings a different personality and experience to the role, they share a common goal: helping students feel connected and at home at NCTA. This year’s RA team represents communities across five states, with students from Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota and Montana.
As another school year begins, NCTA’s RAs will plan activities, answer questions and help students navigate campus life. But some of their most important work will happen in the smaller moments, whether it is welcoming a new student, making an introduction, offering encouragement or simply being someone students know they can turn to.
Their advice to new students is equally simple: get involved, meet people, try something new and ask for help when you need it.
For students beginning a new year at NCTA, the RAs are ready to help make campus feel a little more like home.
