Living on campus is arguably the most profound adjustment of the transition to college life. This makes adjusting to the community, whether it be a residence hall, apartment, pod or suite, a necessity.
The Washington residence hall is well known for its strong sense of community. One person is responsible for making Washington the second home its residents come to view it as: Elaina Hill, Washington Residence Director (RD).
Hill’s journey in the world of Residence Life started in her junior year of college when she hated her roommate and wanted a single, becoming an RA in the process. Becca Krylow, her RD, at an OAR concert of all places, told her she should pursue higher education and get a Masters of Education in Higher Ed Administration, after already getting a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and become a hall director.
“Her believing in me and seeing that potential in me is what really motivated me to become an RD,” Hill said. “As you can see I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Her RD said she never saw anyone that loved to learn as much as Hill did. Born and raised in small town from Delaware, named Camden, right below Dover, the state capitol.
Hill also earned both of her degrees at the University of Delaware.
“People from Delaware are trailblazers,” commented Hill. “We’re not afraid to face adversity and stand up for what is right.”
She explained the story of Caesar Rodney, who rode his horse all the way from the bottom of Delaware to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be the first one to sign the Declaration of Independence, to emphasize the strength of the Delaware people and their ability to take risks.
“That’s what people from Delaware do. We take risks.”
Hill’s favorite aspect of being a Resident Director is being able to spend moments with her students. “It’s that day to day interaction where sometimes we have a lot to talk about and sometimes we don’t have anything to talk about, we’re just spending time together. I love sharing my life with you guys and I love hearing about your lives.”
Hill believes this is what makes a community special.
“It’s about building those bridges and relationships,” Hill continued. “Each person adds to the collective whole of building the community. Being able to spend time with my community is probably my favorite part.”
The love she possesses for the SNHU community arises from the people that make it up.
“I love working at a smaller institution where I’m able to actually get to know a lot of students. This is my home and I work here. These are my people!”
Some fun facts about Hill are that she’s kept a journal of philosophical musings since tenth grade, wanted to be a cartoonist for a newspaper when she was younger, and painted a lot in grad school, to name a few.
Above all else, Hill wants members of the SNHU community to realize how precious it is to be in this community.