"Everyone has a story; you must go seek it out."

And so it is.

Last Thursday, during our professional staff retreat, we established this mantra.  A simple statement that will not only guide our practice over the coming year, but a statement that will help our Resident Assistants understand the importance of getting to know their residents’ stories.

We discussed at length the importance of building positive communities within our halls. After all, we know what kind of impact of a positive community can have on each student living within it.

We acknowledged that it’s hard work getting to know peoples' stories. You can’t just sit back and wait for students to share their stories with you. Oftentimes, you have to “go seek them out” by reaching out to others, even when it's sometimes uncomfortable or difficult for you.  We want to push ourselves and our Resident Assistants to go seek out the stories of the students we struggle to connect with the most.

I’m hoping that this focus by our department on getting to know our students’ stories will help us build better relationships and create stronger, more positive communities.

Imagine the impact this simple question can have… “What’s your story?”

I’m challenging myself to learn the stories of my students this coming year. I will be challenging my Resident Assistants to do the same.

I challenge you to learn your students’ stories, too.