Working as a master's student and hall coordinator , I am able to have a positive effect on the residential community college students live in. Balancing both roles, I am in a position to connect the gap between academics and residential life,creating a living-learning environment that benefits all. My role as a hall coordinator puts me in the center of an important role in student affairs. I am an administrator as well as a mentor, counselor, and role model. The connections I have fostered with residents allows me to understand their needs to help create programs and connections that help support their learning and well being. Both my role as a hall coordinator and a project management student go hand in hand , allowing me to apply the knowledge of my degree program into my role as a hall coordinator and vice versa. I have been able to apply these skills into the supervision and leadership of my resident advisor staff. I have developed different approaches to develop and build community to help students gain life skills, enrich their experience with diverse cultures and promote their overall experience . Due to the nature of my role being a figurehead and leader in the residence hall, it gives me the platform to promote leadership development. By managing a residence hall, I have taken the initiative to empower students to take on leadership roles themselves, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility within the community. Lastly, the empathy and management skills I have developed while in this role has caused a greater ripple into the community. The initiatives I have helped implement in the residence halls can encourage community service and engagement, by connecting the university housing students to the surrounding area. From the leadership skills I’ve cultivated now, in the future I plan to continue working in student affairs by helping improve university students' experience and skills. With this experience gained in student affairs upon graduation , It will take me one step closer to becoming a creative retail designer. Creative Retail design is a design style that focuses on brand recognition and customer loyalty through customer interaction through interior design and technology. In my opinion, creative retail design not only focuses on how a space evokes feelings , but how people interact with the space and how you draw them in. Design changes people's experience and I hope to have that impact in my future role. As a creative retail designer, leading a team of design professionals to create ideas for the public is my main goal for the future.

Deciding on a career is a significant decision we make in our lives. The career we choose plays a role in our future and the goals we set for ourselves. Attending college is one of the most challenging things a person can do. College poses an opportunity to explore different career interests. After all, the best types and long-lasting careers are those you enjoy and take pride in doing. Growing up, I have always been creative, so naturally, I gravitated to a field where I could put my creativity to use. Understanding my hobbies from a young age gave me choices for careers I would pursue. During undergrad, I was an interior design major interested in becoming a set designer. My goal was to help others find enjoyment in the little things. Whether it be something as small as creating an art piece or drafting an apartment renovation. I’ve encountered firsthand how design can help us shape culture, express ourselves, and create memorable experiences and interactions with other people. Although I enjoy the prospect of design as a career, I had planned to explore other options to better understand myself as a new college student. Early on in my undergraduate career, I decided to pursue student affairs. I chose student affairs because I realized the importance of connecting and understanding students and their needs. Consequently, I became involved in student activities. In addition, I worked closely with the Residence Life Department as a Resident Assistant(RA). Being an RA helped me foster connections with students and the university. After graduating from undergrad, I had chosen to continue on my path of student affairs, by working for residence life in a more challenging position as a hall coordinator. As a hall coordinator, I ensure a safe learning community by advocating for my residents and the staff I supervise. I can continue to creatively change the lives of others, and explore my talents further. I can impact college students by helping them through advisement and creating a more community-based environment for them to thrive. Taking time away from my studies after undergrad, allowed me to gain valuable work skills and knowledge, to grow and help others. In early April 2023, I was accepted into the Online Master’s in Project Management program at the University of New Mexico for the fall. A degree in project management will allow me hands-on experience in the field of business that will help me connect my interests in design and student affairs. As an incoming graduate student for the fall of 2023, I am excited to begin a new chapter. While I am still learning new experiences, choosing a career is something I plan on exploring more in the future. A career in Student Affairs or design will fulfill my goal of making memorable experiences for other people. I have always enjoyed impacting different communities by volunteering or playing a role in an activity. Due to my caring nature, I know these career paths will bring me the greatest fulfillment and allow me to pay it forward.

My name is Amoni, and I am currently an incoming first-year graduate student. I am originally from the small town of Maplewood, NJ, and was one of the few Haitian American students. As the daughter of a Haitian immigrant, it was instilled in me that education should always be a priority. Having an educational foundation from a young age helped me discover what I value. Although I faced personal and familial hardships, education has helped me develop personally and professionally. I am passionate about seeking learning opportunities and creating memorable experiences. My passions is why I will study project management for my master's degree. From a young age I have always enjoyed hands-on activities such as painting and drawing, so naturally, I gravitated to a major where I could put my creativity to use. During my undergraduate studies, my major was interior design. I enjoyed the creative freedom and dedication to ensuring each design fit the client's needs and wishes. Design is an outlet to test new ideas and create innovative ways to improve the customer experience. Each semester I took on new projects that challenged my design capabilities. Although academia was my main focus, I became involved in student affairs. I became ​​a member of The Student Programming Board, leading projects such as: planning events, implementing marketing strategies, and ordering promotional merchandise. I experienced supervising a marketing team, chairing meetings, and public speaking. I created departmental connections by working closely with the Residence Life Department as a Resident Assistant(RA). As an RA I fostered connections with students and the university. My experience in student affairs helped me smoothly transition into the role I have today. Shortly after graduating, I became a hall coordinator for Residence Life and Student Housing at the University of New Mexico. As a Hall Coordinator, I supervise twelve resident advisors (RA) with varying learning styles and personalities. In my position, I creatively take initiative, by improving my RA's experiences and those of my residents. Taking time away from my studies after my undergraduate career allowed me to continue growing professionally. In early April 2023, I was accepted into the Master’s in Project Management program at the University of New Mexico for the fall. A degree in project management will help me achieve my goal of becoming a creative retail designer. Creative Retail design is a design style that focuses on brand recognition and customer loyalty through customer interaction through interior design and technology. Two important aspects of project management are planning and communication. Design projects contain many moving parts. Clients, contractors, and other designers are all opinions that are considered. A project management degree will offer me the mentorship and tools to make steps in accomplishing my career goal. As an incoming student, I am excited to begin a new chapter and become more involved on campus while continuing my role as a hall coordinator. Being awarded this scholarship will help me lower the cost and reduce the financial burden of graduate school tuition, fees, and books. I work full-time and pay off undergraduate student loans. This award will allow me to devote more time to continue my academic goals. I am passionate about creating memorable experiences for people and believe the college experience gives people the impact to change lives. This scholarship will make a substantial difference in pursuing my current and future academic and career goals.

Deciding on a career is a significant decision we make in our lives. The career we choose plays a role in our future and the goals we set for ourselves. Attending college, is one of the most challenging things a person can do . College poses an opportunity to explore different career interests . After all, the best types and long-lasting careers are those you enjoy and take pride in doing. Growing up, I have always been creative, so naturally, I gravitated to a field where I could put my creativity to use. Understanding my hobbies from a young age gave me choices for careers I would pursue . During undergrad, I was an interior design major interested in becoming a set designer. My goal became to help others find enjoyment in the little things. Whether it be something as small as creating an art piece or drafting an apartment renovation. I’ve learned and encountered firsthand how design can help us shape culture, express ourselves, and create memorable experiences and interactions with other people. Although I enjoy the prospect of design as a career, I had planned to explore other options to better understand myself as a new college student. Early on in my undergraduate career, I decided to pursue student affairs. I chose student affairs because I realized the importance of connecting and understanding students and their needs. Consequently, I became involved in student activities. I became ​​a member of The Student Programming Board , initially as a volunteer, then worked my way into higher positions. On the board, I led projects such as: planning events, implementing social media marketing strategies, and ordering promotional merchandise. I got experience supervising a marketing team, chairing meetings, and public speaking. I also worked closely with the Residence Life Department as a Resident Assistant(RA). Being an RA helped me foster connections with students and the university. The extracurricular activities I was involved in made me understand my passion for changing others' experiences and helped me uncover further potential future careers. After graduating from undergrad, I had chosen to continue on my path of student affairs, by working for residence life in a more challenging position as a hall coordinator. As a hall coordinator, I ensure a safe learning community by advocating for my residents and the staff I supervise. I can continue to creatively change the lives of others, and explore my talents further. I am able to impact college students by helping them through advisement and creating a more community-based environment for them to thrive. Taking time away from my studies after undergrad , allowed me to gain valuable work skills and knowledge, to grow and help others. As an incoming graduate student for the fall of 2023, I am excited to begin a new chapter and become more involved on campus. I will be a member of my university's graduate and professional student association as a volunteer for the public relations committee. While I am still learning new experiences, choosing a career is something I plan on exploring more in the future. A career in Student Affairs or design will fulfill my goal making memorable experiences for other people. I have always enjoyed impacting different communities by volunteering or playing a role in an activity. Due to my caring nature, I know these career paths will bring me the greatest fulfillment.

A perceptive woman devoted to creating an unforgettable experience for others, while simultaneously allowing people to appreciate the small things in life.

The moment I started my undergraduate studies, was when I began to plan out how I would minimize my student loans.I had been grateful enough to have summer internships, join a paid student organization, and get three jobs during my undergrad studies. When I got paid, I would put what I earned toward my student loans. I would set aside that money to pay off the interest that accumulated on each of my loans. Although it was not required at the time to start paying them off, I wanted to get a headstart. After I graduated, I knew exactly when I would have to start paying off my loans . I had the dates for my loans and the amount set in my calendar each month. I had to start paying 6 months after graduation. I knew I had to take action and find a job so I could better plan each payment. I knew after graduating I wanted to work full-time to gain valuable life skills before I enrolled in a master's program. In July of 2022, after a competitive search, I started a new job as a hall coordinator for the University of New Mexico. I was thankful for the opportunity at a new experience, and how I would have income to start paying off my loans. I was paid bi-weekly and paid over $600 monthly. I set notifications days before I planned to make payments. Although It was not required at the time, It covered the interest as well as lowering the initial cost of the loan. Over the course of my Undergraduate studies, I managed to take out about $80,000 in student loans. I am now pursuing my Masters's in Project Management in Fall of 2023 and would like to pay for my tuition with scholarships. Holding myself accountable and keeping my GPA above a 3.0 in graduate school, will allow me to apply to as many scholarships as available. Scholarships will allow me to put this money towards the loans I have as well as cover the cost of my tuition. I currently work a full-time position at a job that covers part of my tuition. I am thankful to be allowed to have my master's degree primarily covered by my employer. I am ready to put in the work to keep my grades up and balancing my work life. Holding myself accountable by keeping my grades up and applying to scholarships, I will see the hard work pay off in eliminating my student loan debt. Thank you for Reading!