RHA FY23 Executive Board Election Applicants

Primary Position: Executive President

Secondary Position(s): DOD

Education: 2nd Year Undergraduate Student, BS Electrical Engineering

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

RHA is an organization with its own set of unique nuances, histories, and situations as well as its own set of challenges and tasks. As an organization that answers to housing yet exists to serve the residential population, it is important for the person at the head of the organization to understand these nuances and be knowledgeable of the history/structure of the organization in order to lead effectively. It is also important for this person to be able to effectively perform the duties of any position within the organization in order to lead effectively. My experience in RHA has afforded me this experience. During my time as an HCO, I was tested to build community and improve the residential experience. I did this through engaging, enjoyable, and functional meetings, regular transformative programming, and permanent improvements. It was through performing these duties that I was able to develop the skills necessary to lead not just my own Hall Council, but other Hall Councils as well. In a collaborative program with Techwood Hall Council, I spearheaded an effort to show gratitude to the workers at Brittain Dining Hall through a banner which over 200 students signed over a period of 4 days. It was due to my leadership that my hall council was awarded Hall Council of The Year. After my time as an HCO, during my time as DOP, skills that I had developed as an HCO were put to more strenuous tests. Programs were bigger, and everything was better. Not only were my skills tested, but in order to perform my duties effectively, I had to become knowledgeable as well. I am now thoroughly knowledgeable of all of RHA’s policies, RHA’s history, and the variety of tasks necessary for the completion RHA’s functions.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

I am interested in Executive President for a number of reasons (1) I love to lead, (2) I have the knowledge and skills necessary, (3) I am passionate about ResLife, and (4) there is still extensive work to be done to make RHA better, and it is my turn to take on that duty. My love of leadership stems from my desire to want the best for others. Whether it be my teammates on my high school swim team, my fellow students in high school, the members of my first year community, or the residents of Georgia Tech, I have an innate desire to make things better for those around me. As Executive President, I would work to solve problems in Residence Halls, implement more frequent and more significant community-building initiatives, and continue to put smiles on the faces of the residents that RHA impacts. As I mentioned in the previous question, I am in a unique position as the only person with past RHA Executive Board experience running for Exec this year. My knowledge will be integral in performing the necessary duties and continuing the efforts put forth by this years exec board. There are many improvements still to be made, to programming, to advocacy, to resources, to leadership development, and I am in a great position to carry on these endeavors. My passion for ResLife comes from my friendship with the people involved, and the impact I know ResLife has on the students of Tech. Whether that be the RAs, HDs, HCOs, Residents, or anyone involved in ResLife, these people are why I am passionate about ResLife. Its my floor RAs who need more resources for programming. Its my HDs who want to meet more of their residents. Its my friends around me who thank me when I am working for RHA. I want to use my passion for these people to improve the organization and further improve the residential experience at Tech.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

If I could improve one thing about RHA, it would be its continuity. The largest challenge that RHA faces is turnover. Executive Board changes drastically year by year, and Hall Councils change even more often. The reality of the situation is, RHA will always have a high turnover, there is no improvement to be made. That is why if I could improve anything it would be that. The best I can do for continuity is to take the role of President to carry on these efforts.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

I will have a job during the summer, but similar to this year, RHA will be my only commitment during the school year. I will balance it similar to how I have been this year. This isn’t my first rodeo.

Primary Position: DOD

Secondary Position(s): DOF

Education: 2nd Year Undergraduate Student, Aerospace Engineering

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

Last year, I served as the Finance Coordinator for the West Village Hall Council (Armstrong, Hefner, Folk, and Caldwell). In this position, I collaborated with other hall council officers and resident assistants to facilitate events for residents. I was involved in the planning of the 2020-2021 hall council program of the year, a food truck event for West Campus residents. I submitted more than a dozen EAFs on behalf of Hall Council spending as well as reviewed and corrected, when necessary, over 50 EAFs. I presented a finance update for residents at weekly hall council meetings. With my supervision, our hall council spent all but $3 of our yearly budget. As finance coordinator for West Village, I was awarded finance coordinator of the year at the yearly Resident Hall Association banquet. Additionally, I am a member of the white and gold chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary. This year, I have had the pleasure to serve as a resident assistant for Nelson-Shell. As an RA, I have facilitated relations between 40+ residents, developed and conducted programs on diversity, personal development, and relationships. In addition, I have managed a semesterly budget to plan and throw events for my residents as well as presented at hall council meetings for funding for events. I am no stranger to the residence hall association or the world of housing and residence life. I have been a resident, a hall council officer, and a resident assistant and can provide a variety of experience to any role on the executive board.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

I have been a resident, a hall council officer, and a resident assistant, and residence life is near and dear to my heart. I think that residence hall communities have a huge influence on students’ relationships and wellbeing and have enjoyed making a positive impact on my fellow residents. As a hall council officer, I worked to develop a community amongst four residence halls. As an RA, I worked to develop a community amongst my floor. I want to become an executive board member so that I can develop the residence hall community as a whole. I think my experience with finances and programming are my strongest assets to RHA which is why I am running for DoD and DoF. I have managed a hall council budget and an RA’s budget successfully. I know the ins and outs of EAFs and the reimbursement process and am a qualified candidate for DoF. I believe it is the responsibility of the Director of Development to engage residents, HCO, and cabinet members in both fun and beneficial programs. I will bring my large-scale programming experience as an HCO and my small-scale programming experience as an RA to this position. I love throwing events for my residents and hope to bring programs and training to facilitate growth in RHA. I look forward to partnering with other campus organizations to further develop our executive body, HCOs, and residents. Additionally, I believe recognition to be important. HCOs do a lot for RHA with little recognition and no pay. As DoD, I would also like to implement a monthly recognition program for our Hall Council Officers (Hall Council of the Month, program of the month, etc). I believe it is the Director of Finance’s responsibility to manage and interpret the budget, distribute funds, be an advocate for residents and hall council officers, and enthusiastically plan and participate in RHA events. I will bring my finance experience, dedication, and unwavering enthusiasm to the director of finance position. As DoF, I hope to minimize reimbursement times to two weeks, better educate the residence hall community on financial matters, and increase our number of invoiceable vendors. I want to minimize as much as possible the financial barrier that exists between residents and building community because of RHA financial policies.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

I believe that there is a financial barrier to residents, hall council officers, and resident assistants when it comes to programming. This issue, I think, applies to the director of finance and the director of development. As broke college students, it’s hard to come up with hundreds of dollars to spend on events and then wait weeks to be reimbursed! There are workarounds like asking hall directors and others who might have a surplus of money to wait for reimbursement. Regardless, the process of throwing events and making purchases for residence halls should be faster! Ideally, residents wouldn’t have to spend their own money on items at all, but I would like to get residents their money in two weeks or less!

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

Above all else, I am at Georgia Tech to get an education. Whether it be career and research fairs, labs, lectures, office hours, or resume workshops, school is important to me, and school comes first. I plan to balance my executive board commitments appropriately with school as my top priority. My other commitments while at Tech include WoAA, NRHH, and SWE. These clubs I do for fun and participate in on a limited basis. I realize that executive board positions are a big commitment, and I am willing to commit the amount of time necessary to succeed in the director of finance or director of development roles.

Primary Position: DOA

Secondary Position(s): DOC

Education: 2nd Year Undergraduate Student, BS Computer Science

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

The primary relevant experience I have for the position of Director of Administration is that I am a Computer Science student since the position entails mostly computer and technical related duties. I believe that being a Computer Science student helps a lot with this position to understand how to maintain the IT infrastructure and work with computer applications. In addition, I currently participate as an Educational Facilitator for the Georgia Tech Girls Who Code. I work on the social team of the club where we create and maintain the website for communications and marketing with building relations with the schools that we teach at. My website experience from Girls Who Code can help me with this position to maintain the RHA website and any design changes that need to be made. Also, I have done an internship where I received training sessions on Microsoft applications like Teams, Sharepoint, Word and etc. so the system will not be foreign to me. Moreover, the administrative part of this position of organizing the file systems and maintaining inventory is something I have done during 2 of the administrative office jobs I have had at Atlanta Metropolitan College and at my local library so the administrative duties of the position are covered in my experience. For the position of Director of Communications, my main experience is being the Communications Coordinator for the Eighth Street Hall Council. Also, the duties of marketing and managing social media are something that I am used to in my Hall Council position. Furthermore, my experience with being on the social team in Girls Who Code can help as we maintain social media for the club for networking opportunities with schools.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

First, I am mostly interested in being on the RHA Executive Board as I enjoy being a part of making a difference, teamwork, doing large-scale planning for the residents, and maintaining my activeness on campus. For the position of Director of Administration, I am mostly interested in the duties of the position as well as the importance of the position. This position interested me because I like how important I think this position is and much of the RHA’s duties are dependent upon the Director of Administration. I feel that with my experience and technical knowledge I can bring many improvements and ideas to the position to improve the way RHA organizes its digital infrastructure. For the position of the Director of Communication, I am interested in working and communicating with many national/ state residential organizations to further the mission of RHA to continue to grow our students’ residential experiences. In addition, I am interested in communicating with new people and building new relationships with student organizations on and off-campus. I plan to bring my experience as a Communications Coordinator to continue building relations with organizations and taking notes on RHA meetings and Legislative Councils. Along with, bringing new interesting ideas to make the communication between RHA and the residents more apparent and easier for residents to voice their concerns. Being on RHA, I want to make sure that I am bringing my ambition and positive attitude to help make the experience for my peers and students better. I want to create unforgettable experiences for residents and learn about the inner workings of RHA and other campus organizations to further my want to make a difference. Overall, I believe I should be elected for the positions I am running for due to my experience, interests, my passion for RHA, and the future of RHA.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

Many students do not stay on campus after their first year and choose to stay in more modern, off-campus housing options that are cheaper and offer more amenities than on-campus. I would like to improve on the housing at Tech to better the retention rate of students staying on campus. I believe that staying on campus helps students understand their community and allows them to become more active members at Tech, but the infrastructure in the housing communities at Tech are lacking in ways compared to off-campus options. Times are changing and much of our housing infrastructure is outdated. Therefore, I believe regular improvements on Tech housing options to modernize its infrastructure to increase the rate of students staying on campus.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

The first obligation I intend to have is to continue working with Georgia Tech Girls Who Code and that time commitment per week is only 3 hours to volunteer at a school and work on the assigned team I am in. Next, I do intend on studying abroad this summer in Europe so that will affect my abilities for the positions I am running for only in the summer. I currently do not intend to work next year. Since I do not a bunch of commitments as I like to leave as much time as I wish for myself and classes/school. I believe I can balance being on the RHA executive board, Girls Who Code, and school very nicely as I can offer more time to RHA with the few commitments that I have. I can easily prioritize that school will come first then RHA executive duties and then Girls Who Code will come next as it requires fewer hours.

Primary Position: DOA

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 2nd Year Undergraduate Student, BS Computer Science

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

I redesigned the website and managed our newspaper’s slack. This was the main way editors and writers communicated and how stories got assigned, so it was key to have a functioning communication system for efficient writing and publishing. Managing IT for the newspaper has been a challenging yet fulfilling experience. As Director of Administration for RHA, I need to be comfortable with IT tooling and working with various technology suites. The Technique uses Google suite, but I’m confident I can adapt my knowledge to the Microsoft suite as well. For the Technique, I manage the website’s backend as well as Finally, I’ve also been serving as communications coordinator for the NAS Hall Council for the last 6 months (beginning in August 2021), and this position has allowed me to gain an appreciation for the work RHA does around campus.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

I bring to the position of Director of Administration a rich computer science and IT background. My strong problem solving ability provides me with the necessary intuition to solve problems and create lasting and resilient infrastructure for the organization. My freelancing background provides me with website design ability and strong record-keeping skills, a necessity for the role of this position. To RHA at large, I bring a community spirit and a wholesome spirit. I draw from my big heart to make living on campus fun for everyone, and I really enjoy the community atmosphere that comes with RHA events.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

I’d improve the RHA website. I think there’s a better way to organize relevant information for people wanting to get involved and make people more aware of the work RHA does, especially their hyperlocal community Hall Council.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

I have a number of obligations. I am a VP for College Dems, Technology Editor for the Technique, webmaster for the Astronomy Club, and a tour guide for GT Admissions. I balance my commitments by putting everything on a calendar and starting my days early. I plan my schedules to balance later rather than sooner so that I have the mornings to work; I plan to continue this habit.

Primary Position: DOC

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 1st Year Undergraduate Student, BS Neuroscience

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

In order to be more involved with first-year students, I joined a First-year Leadership Organization called First-year Activities Board. Throughout the semester (Fall 2021), we have held two events with the help of several mentors and advisors. My favorite event was called “Tie Time” where we offered Thai tea, tye-dye (shirts), ties, and donuts. The event’s purpose was to destress students from the upcoming finals through food and a tye-dyeing experience. Since we wanted a good turnout, we took many steps to ensure success. For example, we carried the event at Tech Green where there is a constant flow of students. Secondly, we advertised near the CULC on the sidewalks using chalk and carried out a tabling event to assess interest. There were several other strategies executed to promote the event such as flyers and emails. The event was a success considering the massive turnout. People had a fun time, enjoyed the food, and took a souvenir. I was at the front check-in table explaining what the event was, what materials the students need, and where they had to go. Talking to people about something my fellow FABBERS and I put a lot of effort into was very rewarding. Said that there were several areas where the planning and marketing could have been better. With a complex marketing strategy, we should have expected supplies such as donuts, masks, and shirts to run out quickly. Also, the weather was not quite appropriate for the event since it was very windy. As the Meetings Coordinator for Bobby Dodd, I was able to connect with many of the residents. I view my role as the intermediary between executive RHA and residential halls. This proves that I am performing my role well considering that the ideas from my residents are being expressed to RHA and coming into fruition. This is the best example of my communication skills as an advocate for my fellow residents. Building connections is quite important but knowing that your effort is being validated is an amazing feeling. My residents, fellow officers, and I have worked all of last semester to improve our residence halls. Hence, seeing these additions be useful to the community lets us know that our work matters. If I am elected to be the Director of Communication, my experiences have prepared me to excel in this position with the help of the other executive board members.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

If I am elected to be the Director of Communication, I would focus my efforts on Hall Councils, marketing RHA events, and building relationships with NACURH, HRL, and other departments. In my view, marketing is about connecting with people and informing them about an event or program being held that they would be interested in. In my position, I will extensively work on developing the RHA marketing strategy and networking with various departments. Some Hall Councils are struggling with the marketing aspect considering the low turnout of residents at the meetings. As the semester progresses, residents could lose interest and halt their appearance at the weekly meetings. This affects the number of bills that are passed per semester if the quorum is not met at some of the meetings. Additionally, the whole Hall Council is not being completely represented by a few members at the meetings. To solve this issue, I propose an outreach session that the DOC would be responsible for. During this session, any Hall Council officer can stop by and get help regarding how to get more members to attend their meetings. In terms of the whole organization, I plan to bring more innovative methods of marketing/communication. For example, RHA and the Hall Council officers could directly try communicating with residents in order to build more engagement. As the DOC, RHA could be persuaded to hold more informal events to bring together Hall Council officers. This will allow the exchange of information to understand what bills are being carried out in other Hall Councils and what ideas are others implementing to bring more people to meetings. Some ideas for these events could be cookouts, inter-council tournaments, and/or many more. Lastly, an executive officer’s best responsibility is driving the success of Hall Council members by supporting them throughout the process. When executive officers visited our Hall Council meetings, it helps a lot considering that many questions are answered. This procedure should be continued to help Hall Councils flourish. Overall, I will try to build a sense of community with the help of my fellow officers to ensure the success and improvement of residential halls.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

One thing about RHA that I would improve would be the long wait for resolution bills to come to fruition. Resolution bills are big-ticket items that need the approval of Housing and Residence Life to ensure that there are no safety hazards. This process is extremely slow considering that my Hall Council passed several resolution bills and none of them have yet been enforced. I do understand that the reasons for this long wait time are valid and important. On the other hand, the residents want to enjoy the equipment they have voted on before leaving the dorms. My solution would entail talking to HRL and convincing them to make the process more efficient by assigning someone to approve the installation of big-ticket items.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

During my intended term, I will have several obligations which can be managed. Over the summer, I will be volunteering at the Northside Hospital to obtain clinical hours. Over the 2022-2023 school year, I will be involved in research (1 credit hour each semester), potentially advising the first-year activities board, and a club called Medical Robotics. In addition, I will be taking a couple of credit hours over the summer and taking about 16 credit hours every semester during the school year.

Primary Position: DOP

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 1st Year Undergraduate Student, BS Neuroscience

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

In order to be more involved with first-year students, I joined a First-year Leadership Organization called First-year Activities Board. Throughout the semester (Fall 2021), we have held two events with the help of several mentors and advisors. My favorite event was called “Tie Time” where we offered Thai tea, tye-dye (shirts), ties, and donuts. The event’s purpose was to destress students from the upcoming finals through food and a tye-dyeing experience. Since we wanted a good turnout, we took many steps to ensure success. For example, we carried the event at Tech Green where there is a constant flow of students. Secondly, we advertised near the CULC on the sidewalks using chalk and carried out a tabling event to assess interest. There were several other strategies executed to promote the event such as flyers and emails. The event was a success considering the massive turnout. People had a fun time, enjoyed the food, and took a souvenir. I was at the front check-in table explaining what the event was, what materials the students need, and where they had to go. Talking to people about something my fellow FABBERS and I put a lot of effort into was very rewarding. Said that there were several areas where the planning and marketing could have been better. With a complex marketing strategy, we should have expected supplies such as donuts, masks, and shirts to run out quickly. Also, the weather was not quite appropriate for the event since it was very windy. As the Meetings Coordinator for Bobby Dodd, I was able to connect with many of the residents. I view my role as the intermediary between executive RHA and residential halls. This proves that I am performing my role well considering that the ideas from my residents are being expressed to RHA and coming into fruition. This is the best example of my communication skills as an advocate for my fellow residents. Building connections is quite important but knowing that your effort is being validated is an amazing feeling. My residents, fellow officers, and I have worked all of last semester to improve our residence halls. Hence, seeing these additions be useful to the community lets us know that our work matters. If I am elected to be the Director of Programming, my experiences have prepared me to excel in this position with the help of the other executive board members.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

If I am elected to be the Director of Programming, I would focus my efforts on the resource room, events that target first-year students, sponsorships that can be used by Hall Councils, and smaller events across campus. The resource room has improved tremendously this year, but its accessibility can be made better. Many Hall Council officers are aware of the resource room but do not use it due to location and limited inventory. The current location is on the edge of the west campus which is quite far from many Hall Councils. The goal would be to move the resource room through small steps as the next school year starts. This would include finding available space in the middle of campus that is equally accessible to all the Hall Councils. Furthermore, the inventory can also be improved by adding specialized but useful equipment. This will attract more attention towards the RHA resource room due to our niche equipment. New equipment could include tennis racquets, baseball bats, volleyball nets, badminton, skateboard, roller skates, and many more. This new equipment will entice residents and Hall Council officers to try new activities. Additionally, RHA could also partner up with other organizations on campus to hold events. For example, partnering with first-year leadership organizations will be crucial to promote RHA to incoming students. These incoming students live in freshman dorms, and they will be excited about applying to be a Hall Council officer or fill vacancies considering their involvement with leadership on campus. RHA can also add additional funding to these FLO events considering they only have a limited budget. Their events will be larger, and RHA will be marketed more to the general student body. It is important to plan future events that can be held at Tech Green. This is a popular spot with students walking by to attend classes throughout the day. This foot traffic needs to be taken advantage of since students will find our events intriguing. Through my experience in hosting events this year, students will stop by if they can get something for free in return for a small amount of their time. The location is always a key part of good event planning and this should be taken into account. Finally, RHA should use small events to promote the organization more efficiently. For example, RHA can plan an event in collaboration with a couple of hall councils near Brittain hall. This will help involve Hall Councils in event planning.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

One thing about RHA that I would improve would be the long wait for resolution bills to come to fruition. Resolution bills are big-ticket items that need the approval of Housing and Residence Life to ensure that there are no safety hazards. This process is extremely slow considering that my Hall Council passed several resolution bills and none of them have yet been enforced. I do understand that the reasons for this long wait time are valid and important. On the other hand, the residents want to enjoy the equipment they have voted on before leaving the dorms. My solution would entail talking to HRL and convincing them to make the process more efficient by assigning someone to approve the installation of big-ticket items.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

During my intended term, I will have several obligations which can be managed. Over the summer, I will be volunteering at the Northside Hospital to obtain clinical hours. Over the 2022-2023 school year, I will be involved in research (1 credit hour each semester), potentially advising the first-year activities board, and a club called Medical Robotics. In addition, I will be taking a couple of credit hours over the summer and taking about 16 credit hours every semester during the school year.

Primary Position: DOC

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 1st Year Undergraduate Student, BS Chemistry

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

I have previous experience that would prepare me for the role of Director of Communication, in which I led and communicated with peers to advertise and host events for large numbers of people. These include acting as Vice President of Bridging Generations Club in which I created all the promotional material which included running the Instagram, maintaining the website, creating flyers, and sending reminds. As part of Bridging Generations, a club that helps form connections between students in residents in assisted living facilities, I helped plan, advertise, and execute monthly events for three years while running the social media. In Bridging Generations, I organized over 16 events and attended 22 events before Covid. For these events, I had to contact and coordinate with the club members, volunteers, school staff, the retirement home event coordinator, assisted living staff, supply closet staff, entertainment, and catering for the events. The day after an event I uploaded the photos from the events to the website so that members could view them easily. I also set up the Signupgeniuses and maintained the calendar that was displayed on the website. Acting as the Librarian of Camerata Orchestra in my senior year of high school, I made and distributed the monthly newsletter to all levels of orchestra at my school using Canva. These positions and other leadership opportunities have allowed me to gain experience using Canva and creating dynamic and engaging PowerPoints. In addition to this experience, I participated in student government for 4 years and was a participant of the Prom planning committee in which I was specially selected for the advertising subcommittee. I worked alongside my peers to prepare an event for 700+ students and staff. I created the main promotional poster for prom in which the theme was revealed. I also was a participant in the Homecoming Advertising Committee in which I helped decorate the Hallways for Homecoming. This year I acted as Communications Coordinator for West Village in which I distributed information and messages by sending weekly emails, creating promotional posters for all events and meetings, updating the residents on important updates, participating in every legislative council meeting, and hosting events. These experiences have taught me how to deliver information effectively and efficiently while honing my skills using media platforms such as Instagram, Canva, Teams, and Microsoft Office.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

I am running for the position of Director of Communications because I want to get more involved in RHA, grow and develop more effective leadership and management skills and contribute to the betterment and longevity of the organization. If elected, I plan to add more unity to the organization by creating a more centralized social media presence and allowing the other councils to be more aware of events hosted by other councils. I hope to highlight the accomplishments of the hall councils on social media and increase the platform and presence of the councils. I also plan to increase access to materials for residents and HCOs including connecting them with other on campus organizations, and create a space for Hall Council Officers to make changes to the organization and participate in more central advertising to encourage involvement. Another resource I hope to implement is to have all the communications coordinators download the free version of Canva Pro at HOCOFT and I would increase resources by the addition of teams channels where events and other announcements that should be sent out to residents can be found. In RHA so far this year, I have hosted four events and activities for my community, sent weekly emails, communicated in the group me, created flyers for events and Hall Council Meetings, and relayed information presented at Legislative Council to my community. All the events I hosted had a high turn out and the marketing engaged the target prospects while maximizing influence and outreach. At the end of last year, I organized a tabling event in order to advertise the upcoming Hall Council events we were throwing which we plan to implement going forward this semester. Throughout the year I have shown proficient skills in Canva, and email and announcement formatting in a way that delivers important information effectively directly to the residents. I have strong skills in team leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills which can be seen with working with my teammates. All of these skills will help me in performing the responsibilities of this job.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

In order to strengthen the organization, I would find a better way to deliver information to the hall council officers which can be shared with the residents. To do this I would create a separate channel in teams where the posters and information for events that obtain money from Legislative Council will be shared. In addition to this, I will have everyone download Canva Pro for free from the school at HCOFT where we can initiate the process together early on. I plan to create a way event photos can be sent in and RHA can share from a larger social platform since some hall councils would not benefit from creating media pages.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

As of now, I have no obligations outside of schoolwork for next year. I do not plan on having a job next year either. I plan on using time management skills to keep up with everything going on by staying on top of school work and setting time aside specifically for RHA obligations to ensure that I fulfill my responsibilities if elected. I will try to work as efficiently as possible by minimizing the time taken to start and finish a task and maximizing the effort and quality of the outcome.

Primary Position: DOF

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 1st Year Undergraduate Student, BS Business Administration (Finance Concentration)

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

I have had many encounters relevant to financials, especially with me being a finance concentration major here at Tech. Even before committing to an education in finance, I had experience running my own books with my small business called Whatever It Cakes. Within this business, I handled all budgeting and expenses relative to the endeavor as well as managed over $3,000 in profits and $5,000 in sales within a year. Along with this experience, I also interned at a sign making shop where my primary responsibilities were to handle invoices and customer communications dealing with billing and sign details. My previous education dealing with finance helps me with this position as well. I completed the entrepreneurship pathway at my high school which helps students flesh out their knowledge of business plans, budgeting, and professional communication. I am also certified in Microsoft Excel through the GMetrix testing system. As for the present, I currently manage the finances for my friend’s woodworking small business which includes me creating their monthly budget and providing insight into what financial options are open to them. I also have created the tentative monthly budget for my resident community that the Executive President then posted into the Teams for all councils to use and develop to their own needs.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

As a finance major and financial coordinator for West Village, I am passionate about this field of work. I would like this position because the experience will help me with the growth and development within finance and help me expand my commitment to help others understand the world of finance within RHA. My passion for RHA can also be seen through my repeated appearance at the Legislative Council as I have been to every meeting last semester just so I could participate and express my opinions. I have also completed the RHA portion of the leadership track and am currently working on the GOLD route component. I have a lot of ideas that I would like to bring to RHA. To begin, I’d like to have a published reimbursement process schedule. This schedule would be similar to the bill review type deadline where, if you submit the reimbursement before a certain day/time, it will be guaranteed to be processed by the DOF during that week. This system will help give some type of timeline for how long until their reimbursement will be processed. Another idea I have is to add on to the current reimbursement process confirmation email. I want to include a note that says to email the DOF after receiving your reimbursement fully. On the DOF’s end, they can then mark in their records who has received their money. With this information, the DOF would be able to easily pinpoint who they need to follow up with to make sure that they can receive their reimbursement. To include more transparency into the finances, I want to work with the DOA or tech support member to implement an aspect on the RHA site/microsoft teams that shows live updates to the LC budget (Reader view only). This would help the voters keep track of exactly what’s happening financially during LC. Lastly, I would like to implement a budgeting system specifically for LC that would show how much we should aim to spend during each meeting so as to spend our money effectively. The budget would be created based upon past LC years and incoming bill predictions. While it would just be a guideline for how to handle our spending, this budget can help prevent a scramble to spend money towards the end of the semester or the issue of having little to no money at the end. Along the lines of budgets, I would also like to update the monthly budget that I created in the past to give an official copy to every hall council to utilize.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

Overall, I want the financial situation within RHA to be more open and easier to understand to the officers. This will allow all of us to make more educated decisions when it comes to LC bill approval and in general within our hall councils. I ultimately want us as a collective organization to be smarter with our spending. I want to leave the mentality of spending money just because it is there (No matter how low priced the bill is) and adopt the idea of effectively spending money in order to grow our community as a whole.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

I am planning on starting up my personal small business again within the next year. This will not hinder my capabilities as I used to run this business at the same time as being in school and being in several clubs. I have the time management abilities to adequately manage both sectors of my life. I will certainly prioritize my DOF duties due to them having a greater effect beyond myself. Any worry of my attention can be mitigated by the idea that my business is like any other hobby one may have and can always be placed aside greatly to put the DOF position on the forefront.

Primary Position: DOP

Secondary Position(s): None

Education: 2nd Year Mathematics & Business Administration Majors

Please discuss any prior relevant experience and how it has prepared you for the position(s) you are applying to (2500 characters max).

As the Dungeons and Dragons Club secretary here at GT, I have been a crucial factor in the minutia and intricacies of planning activities and events. Earlier, I was the Vice President for the Mathematics Club at UNG. As the Vice President, I created many department-wide events. I was explicitly given complete control over the jeopardy party’s budgets and coordinating the department’s professors. As the emcee, I have run company-wide events for Alpharetta Comprehensive Dentistry and was requested to return in the following year due to memorability. Finally, I apprenticed for an Audi dealership Casino night and Elementary School party under an event coordinator. Both events were non-profit and generated three to five thousand of funding and over five hundred dollars in raffle purchases. All in all, I have a wide variety of party planning experience across a considerable period and scale. I am prepared to communicate with outside businesses and generate/implement ideas. I have multiple personal connections with businesses that cater for large-scale events and have the skills necessary to run food distribution. I also interact with many forms of media and persons, allowing me to have a broader range of communities to pull from. For example, my work at Habitat For Humanity helped me get a new perspective on those who are less fortunate in money but fortunate in love. I cultivated new respect and love for those who lost their homes. As I have expanded my mindset in the past, I will continue to do so to better the students and the teaching, custodial, and necessary staff that make up our community. You do not need to be a student to be welcomed or helped; you can be an active community member who calls out or struggles. Finally, I must discuss my lack of experience in the RHA. What I lack in venture with the RHA, I make up for an absurd willingness to learn. I will be working as hard as I can to integrate and ingratiate myself into the RHA and this position. It may be more work, but I will close my knowledge gap quickly.

Please discuss your interest in the position(s) you are applying for and what you plan to bring to the position(s) and organization at large (4000 characters max).

As a student with dietary restrictions, I struggled during my Week of Welcome and lost respect for Georgia Tech. It has taken my integration into clubs and friends to remember why I came here. I have no intention of letting another student feel unseen or unaccounted for. I aim to provide inclusive programming that will help and entertain every member of Georgia Tech. I plan to give this inclusive itinerary by reaching out for feedback from past and current students about their experiences. Also, I plan to discuss my ideas with students of different races, genders, religions, and sexualities to focus on each person who arrives at Georgia Tech. Next, I plan to provide efficiency and proactivity. I am a perfectionist at heart and a Math/Business major on the surface. I am highly concerned with giving the best experiences to Georgia Tech at the most reasonable cost. I plan on doing multiple small and large-scale events that are little to no cost other than my own time. I also plan on providing the events that students expect from Georgia Tech and the fees they have paid. For example, I plan on having a significant “field day” in the Burger Bowl and Jackbox nights that both have minimal costs. However, I also plan to have other higher-cost events like mini-Olympics. Similarly, I will provide proactivity to procure the necessary catering, materials, and personnel to have large gatherings. I plan to call day and night to obtain a wide variety of food and events. If elected, I will make sure that all planning and communication finishes within seconds or minutes of being requested as Director of Programming. I have no wish for lengthy processes. Another important distinction of the Director of Programming is being the PPR for the move-in week and week of welcome. I am willing to be aggravatingly extroverted to allow anyone I work with to feel immense amounts of pep. As the DOP, I will inject morale into students and ensure that everyone is prepared for the upcoming school year. Many steps and intricacies require more than just pep, and I am ready to work fifty or more hours a week to provide the care and perfection necessary. As a math major, I have experienced the specificity of proofs; I will expand that knowledge to the preparation and expansive functions of the move-in week. Finally, I must discuss my lack of experience in the RHA. What I lack in venture with the RHA, I make up for an absurd willingness to learn. I will close the knowledge gap quickly.

If you could improve any one thing about RHA—related to your position(s) of interest or not—what would it be and why (750 characters max)?

If I could change one thing about the RHA, it would be the secrecy of bills. Now, they are not secret, but many students do not know how to submit the bills or how they can affect them. Many friends state that they do not understand how to propose bills. Even though I informed them of the RHA website with a complete description of the process, they had no idea it existed. RHA should properly notify incoming students of their bureaucratic power to give them a sense of control.

Please discuss any obligations (work, extracurricular, and otherwise) that you anticipate having external to RHA during the duration of your intended term and how you plan to balance/prioritize your commitments (1500 characters max).

I am the Dungeons and Dragons club Secretary, but most of my duties are superfluous or quick. I see no difficulties holding both positions. Otherwise, I have no extracurriculars or work. I will be attending school full-time, but I can juggle my work with the RHA and contort my schedule to fit the position. I would love to say I have more, but I do not have any real commitments apart from school and some small Dn’D club work.