Sarah Beckham, resident director (RD) of Hendricks Hall at Point Loma Nazarene University, has fostered a supportive environment for incoming students, some of her resident assistants (RAs) said. Her time as an RD is spent training her RAs, taking care of administrative tasks and ensuring residents are finding a home in a new place.
Beckham has been an RD for five years, the first year spent at Concordia University Ann Arbor and the following four at PLNU. Over the past four years, she has been making connections with her six RAs each year, making sure they are aware of how she likes things run, while connecting with them to ensure their time is meaningful.
Moshu Liao is a second-year business marketing major and an RA on the first floor of Hendricks Hall.
“Sarah has impacted my life as an RA by her leadership,” Liao said. “Her work style is very encouraging, for not just me but the entire team. Plus, her energy for the job has taught me how to be a good leader and overall a great model for the residents.”
Beckham said her schedule changes each day, but the week has a steady overall structure she can rely on. A good day starts with an iced half-caf Americano, two pumps of vanilla, and a splash of oat milk.
“Most of my days consist of bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with the RAs, weekly staff meetings with the RA team, student conduct meetings, ResLife [Residential Life] department weekly meetings, collaboration meetings with other Student Life and Formation offices, and lots of administrative tasks,” Beckham said.
With all that she balances, including administrative duties with mentorship and building connections with students, she ensures that Hendricks Hall remains a place where residents feel supported throughout their college experience, she said.
One of the best parts of the job is getting to hear people’s stories, she said.
“Even if people have shared experiences, no one person’s story is the same. Stories shape who we are, our beliefs, ideals and values,” Beckham said. “Our stories also impact our present decisions and consequently our future lives. The college season is such a significant time in someone’s life. Getting to speak into people’s lives and potentially have an impact on such a significant chapter of someone’s larger story is a privilege that I do not take for granted.”
Beckham said she leans on her RAs, who help her avoid becoming overwhelmed. She said that each RA undergoes extensive training and support that prepare them to respond and ensure safety in stressful situations.
Nica Zsiros, a fourth-year business marketing major, is also an RA on Hendricks’ second floor.
“Sarah has been really helpful through the entire RA experience,” Zsiros said. “She made the opening experience very welcoming by breaking everything down in a simple way, showing us how to have confidence, which allowed us to believe in ourselves and know that we can handle what was coming.”
Beckman said that difficult moments might arise with incoming students. Having done this work for multiple years, she said she is grateful to have learned good pre- and post-emotional regulation techniques, such as practicing through scenarios and ensuring RAs feel well-prepared, which help when stepping into heavier crisis moments.
