September RA of the Month: Taylor Irwin

Congratulations to Taylor Irwin from Humes Hall on winning west area September RA of the month! Below is her nomination from Humes Assistant Hall Director Laura Reasor:

        Taylor Irwin is a second year RA in Humes Hall and has really become a leader among our staff. Taylor has continued to bring new and exciting ideas to her floor to grow the community as a whole while creating an environment that feels like home to her residents. For example, Taylor has implemented a continuous Suite of the Week program that is currently in its fourth week. Taylor picked one suite of residents to be the Suite of the Week by making a sign that hangs over the door. Those residents were then tasked with the job of picking a new suite to be the Suite of the Week and then the process continues. One suite of residents even interviewed other suites to see why they believed they should be the winners that week!
         Taylor also began a weekly community builder in which she lets her residents come to her room every Sunday night to de-stress. Taylor has found a way to incorporate her passion for early education into her RA job by having a read-a-loud every Sunday. Taylor picks one of her favorite Children’s books to read to her residents, which allows them to relax and enjoy being a kid again, even for just a short amount of time. The residents, along with many staff members, have enjoyed having this time to relax before the start of their busy weeks.
           Taylor has also been instrumental in helping train new staff members as they continue to learn the ropes of being an RA by being an excellent role model. In general, the RAs in Humes are very involved individuals in their academics, RA job, and other student organizations, so many of the new staff members were having to work hard to find a balance between all of their commitments. Taylor is someone who is currently involved in organizations like National Residence Hall Honorary, acting as the floor representative for Humes Hall Residents’ Association, taking graduate level courses that require going to some Knox County schools, all while excelling in her RA role. By being an example of someone who is involved in various activities and is remaining calm in stressful and hectic times, the other staff members are able to follow her example and work to create a plan that works for them like Taylor already has.
              Taylor deserves to be the West Area RA of the Month for September for her dedication to her floor and Humes, creativity, and leadership. Humes Hall and the Humes staff would not be the same without Taylor on our team and are honored to nominate her as the West Area RA of the Month!