Being a first-generation student, it was hard adjusting to college during my freshman year. Going into my sophomore year, I decided to start getting involved on campus. I joined a variety of clubs, worked for the Office of Admissions and Campus Activities Board, and became an RA. Through my campus involvement I had the opportunity to work with two individuals who helped me find my way into student affairs. Tymon Graham was my supervisor as an RA, and Caroline Carter was my supervisor while I served on the Campus Activities Board. They both challenged me to exceed expectations and to love what you do, which helped mold me into a passionate student leader. Both of these individuals deeply impacted my college experience, and I knew that I wanted to follow in their footsteps so that I could do the same for students to come. I am forever grateful for their love, support, and guidance because without it I would have never found my way into student affairs.
I do not have one singular occurrence but more so a series of interactions that have happened over the years that hold a significant place in my heart. While I was pursuing my Master of Education, I decided to create something I call my “Why Box.” Over the years, I have held on to any cards, notes, letters, small gifts, etc. that I have received from students, staff, and campus partners. I placed all of these items in a box that I keep tucked away so that I may reflect on these memories and words of encouragement when needed. My “Why Box” serves as a constant reminder of why I joined this field and why I continue to strive to make an impact in this world.
The biggest challenge with my current role is building a department from the ground up. With our department being created and our first residence hall just being built in 2019, my director, student staff, and myself have been working very hard to help create a home away from home experience for our students. Thankfully, I have the opportunity to work with an incredible director, Matthew Perry, who has had years of experience in the field. It has been a privilege to work for Matthew because he forces me to improve my skillset where needed while allowing me the autonomy to make big decisions and learn from experience. Through this position, I have come to understand that you cannot force something to succeed overnight, but instead, you need to have the patience to allow it to happen naturally.
I have a variety of must-have items in my office because having an office that feels homey and welcoming is very important to me. I have comfy items such as a couch and blankets, as I feel like this helps make my office a little cozier for staff and students who stop by. I also have small brainteasers, fidget toys, and a snack drawer because everybody loves snacks. I also love to listen to music while at work to help me focus on my tasks.
I would probably try to develop some type of international study abroad initiative that is accessible for all students at the institution. I would want to work with campus and community partners to help fund the initiative and provide necessary preparations for our departure. Study Abroad was one of the best experiences I had when I was a student, and I believe that everyone should have an opportunity to explore the world and learn from different cultures, locations, communities, and backgrounds. These types of experiences promote independence and allow students to step outside of their comfort zone, which is a valuable life skill to have.
My current campus went through downward expansion in 2014, allowing freshman and sophomore students to enroll. With this downward expansion came a lot of campus enrichment, and it showcased the potential of where we can go from here. In the last four years we have built a new STEM building for academic courses, a campus recreation and wellness center, and most recently, in 2019, opened our first on-campus residence hall, Hunter Hall, where I currently serve as the residential life coordinator. The University of Houston-Clear Lake has a lot of exciting opportunities ahead, which is what makes it so unique and exciting to work here.
One of my favorite traditions from my alma mater, a tradition dating back to 1919, was our annual crew races. Every spring we would host an event at the campus boathouse where students would come together to race alongside their sister classes (freshmen and juniors vs. sophomores and seniors). Each year leading up to the event we would all come together to create shirts and decorate wooden oars for the big day. This campus tradition was one that I looked forward to every year, and I loved getting to participate regardless if our boat sank or not.
On one side, I have learned how innovative, adaptable, and creative people are in the field of student affairs. Being able to work with a variety of campus partners to ensure that students’ needs were still being met was a very challenging and rewarding experience. On the other side, I have also learned how important and valuable human interaction is. This past year has been hard for everyone to varying degrees, and you can tell that everyone is looking forward to the days when we can all be back on campus engaging in person.
I feel like the general day-to-day connections with my staff and students are always reassuring. I am a big people person, so I enjoy interacting and engaging with the individuals around me. Student affairs is an exciting field to work in because it is continuously evolving, and I find that concept very motivating. Knowing that there will always be a new idea, experience, or opportunity to come is something that motivates me and keeps me looking ahead.
Teleportation would be my superpower of choice for a few reasons. As everyone knows, student housing can be very unpredictable. Being able to teleport would help save a lot of time and energy when responding to incidents, shopping for last minute programs, and needing to quickly jump from one meeting to the next. It would also help improve work/life balance. I absolutely love to travel, and I would do it every weekend if I had the time and funds. Being able to teleport, I could go island hopping in Greece one weekend, tour the castles of Ireland the next, and stay at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to round out the month. I would be able to go on countless adventures, save money on flights, enjoy my journey, and still be back in time for work on Monday.
Cierra K. Davis is the residential life coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Have a colleague you think others should get to know? Please share with us at talkingstick@acuho-i.org and you may see them in a future issue of the magazine.