By: Lance Lawton

Handling around 40 students in a residential life hall while studying for classes can sound very challenging, and Rachel Bertram felt the pressure her first semester as a resident assistant (RA).

“Last fall, it was horrible,” Bertram said. “I was receiving C’s and D’s on homework and tests, when I know I could do better than that. I didn’t know how to study and balance my work with my classes.”

The junior public relations major from Cameron, Missouri, struggled to find that perfect harmony in the fall of 2017. However, after much focus and determination, Bertram finally mastered her plan.

“I worked at it every day and finally figured it out,” Bertram said. “I learned how to quit stressing so much, how to study properly and now I’m here in my second year, going strong.”

Bertram became interested in becoming an RA at Western after listening to her sister’s experience as one at Park Hill University.

“It was the idea that I could become involved with campus life and helping others,” Bertram said. “I enjoy living on campus, where people can come to me with issues that they have, or they come to me just to start a new relationship, to get to know me better.”

She claims that her job as an RA can be very rewarding, due to the amount and quality of relationships she has with her residents.

“I have some of the same residents I had last year, with a few new ones this year,” Bertram said. “I’m on the second floor of Vaselakos Hall, which is the International Floor, and I’m thrilled to meet all the internationals that we get every year and just talk to them and learn about their cultures.”

Although she was able to adapt to the RA lifestyle, Bertram says that the worst part about the job are duty nights; more specifically, duty weekends.

“Those can drain you sometimes,” Bertram said. “Especially when people are having fun against residential life policies. RAs have to stay up late, go out on rounds and you might have to answer the duty phone and walk out in the middle of the night in your pajamas to resolve a problem.”

Bertram says that she has had to be on several police reports due to residential situations. She’s also had to call a few paramedics to campus.

Despite the ups and downs that an RA can deal with at Western, Bertram still believes that this is one of her favorite jobs she’s ever had.

“It’s just a great feeling. I’m basically someone who can be highlighted as who you want to have a desirable friendship with,” Bertram said. “Like I said before, it’s rewarding in the fact that I can meet new people, create new relationships with them and help them out in any way, and I get to do all of this as a job.”