For many college students, living in a residence hall means having a place to sleep, study and spend time with friends. For Cotton Tanner, it also means taking on the responsibility of helping the students around him feel at home.
Tanner, a junior finance major and SNU football player, is from a small town about 30 minutes outside Fort Worth, Texas. Along with balancing football and his classes, Tanner serves as a Resident Assistant, a role that has given him the opportunity to build relationships and grow as a leader.
Tanner first became interested in becoming an RA because of the encouragement he received from his own RA and several other people during his freshman year at SNU. Their influence showed him what the position could look like and encouraged him to eventually take on the role himself.
Since becoming an RA, Tanner has discovered that the position requires more than simply being available to residents. One of his biggest challenges has been finding a balance between the different responsibilities in his life.
“I think the most challenging part about being an RA is the balance between my spiritual life, school, RA, football, social life and family matters,” he explained.
With so many responsibilities competing for his attention, Tanner has learned that one of the best ways to stay organized is to focus on what is happening in the moment.
“I think I learned to balance all of it by focusing on one thing at a time,” Tanner said. “When it’s time for one thing, I don’t let another thing distract me.”
That mindset is especially important for Tanner as a student-athlete. Between football, finance classes, and his responsibilities as an RA, there is always something that needs his attention. Instead of trying to handle everything at once, he has learned to give his full attention to whatever responsibility is in front of him.
Being an RA has also helped Tanner develop his leadership skills. One of the biggest lessons he has learned is that not everyone responds to leadership in the same way.
“I’ve learned that everyone responds differently to leadership,” he described. “Some like a more formal approach, while others like to see leaders as friends, and it’s important to know the difference.”
For Tanner, leadership is not about treating every resident exactly the same. Getting to know people individually allows him to understand how to communicate with them and build stronger relationships.
Those relationships have become one of his favorite parts of being an RA.
“I have really enjoyed getting to know my residents,” he stated.
Some of Tanner’s most meaningful moments have happened during the quieter parts of the job. He said his most memorable experiences have been the late-night conversations he has had with residents.
“Seeing them open up and trust me is a great feeling,” he said.
Those conversations show an important part of being an RA that can easily go unnoticed. While RAs have responsibilities and expectations, they are also people residents can turn to when they need someone to listen. Building that trust can take time, but for Tanner, it has become one of the most rewarding parts of the position.
For a student already balancing football, school, family, friendships and his spiritual life, becoming an RA adds another responsibility to Tanner’s schedule. However, the relationships he has built with his residents have made the challenge worthwhile.
Tanner’s experience shows that being an RA is not simply about enforcing rules or organizing residence hall activities. It is about being present, learning how to lead different people and becoming someone others can trust. For Tanner, the late-night conversations and relationships with his residents may be some of the most important parts of the job.
Photo by: SNU Creative