Student-Athletes Double as Resident Assistants to Impact the Community
Written by: Stan Becton
With a day filled with classes and practices, many student-athletes often find their schedules booked. Yet, a handful of student-athletes have chosen to use the time they haven’t dedicated to academics and athletics to be a friendly face in the Carnegie Mellon University community through residential life.
There are six student-athletes across five athletic teams that spend their time outside of academics and athletics serving the campus community as a Resident Assistant (RA). These RAs are senior Robert Levin (men’s tennis), senior Keegan Barone (women’s cross country and track and field), junior Joey Krempa (men’s basketball), junior Elle Schaefer (women’s basketball), junior Logan Stahl (football and track and field) and senior Stan Becton (football). In addition to the RAs, Joshua Pinckney (men’s tennis) serves the Carnegie Mellon community as a Community Advisor (CA) in West Wing and Resnik House, a position that is a step above the RAs and is responsible for an entire dormitory as well as the management of an RA staff. You can find these athletes in all of the dormitory communities on campus ranging from ‘The Hill’ to ‘Cloakland.’
Like all of the RAs across campus, the athletes decided to apply and take the position for different reasons. For instance, Stahl, a first-time RA in Roselawn, became an RA to help his classmates. “I wanted to help other people find their communities around our campus and make the most out of their time at CMU,” said Stahl.
For many of the RA athletes, the transition was smooth as they leaned on the skills they’ve developed through sport to their benefit. Through athletics, they have learned transferable skills like time management and leadership. For Barone, a second-time RA in Shady Oak Apartments, she’s used the experience of being an athlete to better connect with residents.
“Last year being an athlete helped me bond with many of the residents in Mudge House who were also varsity athletes or generally interested in sports and exercise,” Barone said. “I was in a position where they knew that I could relate to the different obstacles student-athletes face so they could feel more comfortable approaching me.”
Likewise, being an RA has impacted these athletes in their sport. The daily interactions with residents from all walks of life have given them exposure to experiences they may have otherwise not had. For many, the personalized interactions have allowed them to become a better teammate drawing on their time as an RA.
With all of the benefits that being an RA provides, the position is not without its challenges. Being an RA does take up time. It also features a lot of social interactions daily. Resident Assistants are responsible for managing the dorm, creating programs, and even spending nights on duty making sure everyone is safe.
Even with the challenges, the athletes who have been RAs before still speak highly of the experience. “I think our drive as athletes to push ourselves, push others and support our teammates makes it natural for us who work as RAs or CAs to genuinely connect with residents, building meaningful relationships and trust,” said Pinckney.
"RAs have the power to galvanize a group of people," said Becton. "Drawing on our athletic experiences, we can bring people together for activities while helping everyone through troubling times. When given the opportunity to be part of both roles, it increases the positive impact on the campus community and brings more of us together."