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While all participants viewed their minoritized social identities positively, a few
described their supervisors as a force that disrupted the sense of well-being
connected to their identity by layering raced or gendered stereotypes on top of
job performance expectations.
While engagement was important for Brandon in making a positive and transformational
difference for his fellow students and on campus, he also understood the importance
of weekly reflections to attend to his own needs first in order to be able to better
support residents.
Braelynn understood the importance of her own well-being in creating a solid
foundation from which she could support her residents. She was able to recalibrate
her expectations so that she could recenter herself during tumultuous periods. This
recalibration occurred early in her RA career after she found herself neglecting her
own care:
I learned very quickly what my limits were . . . I'm now able to keep my batteries charged
because I'm never letting myself get burned out. What caused me to initially burn out
was the fishbowl effect my first semester as RA. It was my worst academic semester
because . . . I wanted to be the Pinterest RA. I realized that's not feasible . . . so I just
started setting boundaries to keep myself charged. You can't give so much of yourself
you have nothing left. My approach to managing myself and this role is best for me and
my well-being. I'm not always available on the floor . . . I read books. I watch Netflix
and I crochet . . . I pray.
By sustaining her emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being through hobbies and
spirituality practices, Braelynn set healthy boundaries with her residents. Jesslyn also
discussed the importance of setting boundaries: " I had [residents] crying in my room
[a] lot. . . . They might want something, but I'm like 'I can't be your therapist for three
hours. I mean I love to talk to you, but that's just really not my job.' " In Emere's RA
experience, boundary setting was her key strategy:
The more important thing I learned was to set boundaries with my residents, which
I think comes off as cold, but it's really important in terms of self-care. . . . That helped
me grow. . . . Without this job, I wouldn't have realized the importance of self-care.
Boundaries also proved to be important for these RAs in finding personal space
to process painful and traumatic national events. Renata described her approach to
addressing the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in
Parkland, Florida, that resulted in 17 murders and multiple injuries:
What I really tried to do is I start by recognizing this thing happened [with my residents]. . . .
I feel it is important enough that we, as a community, should recognize that this
happened. . . . It's emotionally taxing enough on me. I'm like, " Give me 24 hours to
process my feelings . . . I'm also a student. I'm also human . . . I'm feeling some sort of way.
Give me 24 hours. "
Volume 49, No. 3 * 2023 137

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