The Residential College program at the University of Central Arkansas made a major impact on my involvement in on campus activities as well as providing a family of support and connections that have proved to be invaluable. As an entering freshman, I was uncertain about the university and my ability to succeed in a place that I had never been before. I was shy and timid and it was hard to be far away from my family in a way that had never happened before. I found a home and friends in Hughes Residential College. Having a close knit community of people with a great staff full of leaders was a game changer for me. I grew a lot freshman year and when things were tough with classes and my personal life I was never alone in my struggles. Currently, I am about to enter my senior year of college and I am preparing to continue on into a masters program for American Indian studies at Arizona State University.
Being in Hughes was an invaluable experience for me. I made friends that I am still close to today and had a supportive staff who helped me through a lot of rough times. I am forever grateful for that. I had a community that pushed me to be a better student, person, and leader. All of those attributes have surfaced as time has gone on. The connections I made with other students allowed me to become involved in different on campus organizations such as PRISM and PhiRe*. I loved the environment in Hughes so much that I continued to live there as a student staff member, first an advocate and then a learning assistant. I made an abundance of friends and Hughes was the place where I felt the safest. A place in which, regardless of background or pasts, a family is built.
Without Hughes Residential College I would be a very different person—one that probably remained in her shell and continued to remain in the background instead of branching out and trying new things. As I move foreword, I know that I will always have a community of friends to help me through the hard times and encourage me to be the best person I can possibly be. I have learned a lot and have experienced a lot and for that I am grateful. I know that I have the skills and ability to do great things and Hughes Residential College was a big part of unlocking that potential.
* PRISM is an acronym for Pride, Raising Awareness, Involvement, Support & Mentoring Alliance.
* PhiRe is a student organization for those interested in studying philosophy and religion.