Post author Jacquelyn Trotman, AEA Ambassador, is a junior at Syracuse University, dually enrolled in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
College: the ultimate transition. You think you’ve got it all figured out but once you step foot on campus for the first time, you’re essentially starting from scratch. Suddenly you’re thrust into a whole world where everything’s new: new city, new school, new people, just like every coming-of-age story starts. Cliché? Yes. But true? Absolutely.
Coming to Syracuse University from Edison, New Jersey, I was definitely a long way from home. Knowing virtually no one when I started my freshman year, I actively sought after opportunities to create a sense of community in this new environment.
While I was able to find my people in student organizations like Renegade Magazine, Retail Club and Our Time Has Come, one of the first places that I was able to find my community on campus was in my dorm, Sadler Hall. While living with a new person—or any person, for that matter— took some getting used to, my freshman year roommate and I just seemed to click. What started out as awkward conversations about boundaries and sleep habits eventually blossomed into an incredible friendship—in fact, one of the closest ones I’ve made in my time at Syracuse thus far. I am so grateful that residence life at SU brought me such an amazing connection.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY
My love for community-building is ultimately what drew me to become a Resident Advisor (RA). My freshman year had taught me that making meaningful connections was critical to the college experience, and I knew that I wanted to help create a welcoming environment in which fellow students could build communities of their own.
With my extensive involvement at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management—serving as a Whitman Leadership Scholar, Goodman Leader, Marketing & Communications Department Student Employee and executive board member of the Retail Club—being an RA for the Whitman Leadership Living Learning Community (LLC) just made sense. The LLC brings Whitman students together to live in an on-campus residential community and engage in LLC-specific academic and social programming. Our community also gives students access to intentional support from Whitman faculty, staff, alumni and industry partners, further enriching their academic and social experience.
Trotman is an an RA for the Whitman Leadership Living Learning Community (LLC), bringing students together to live in an on-campus residential community.
I stepped into the role of Whitman LLC RA in the second semester of my sophomore year, and it has been so rewarding to make this role, and this community, my own over the past two academic years. I have watched my 60+ freshman residents go from strangers to the best of friends in a matter of months, and to think that I have been even a small part of that is a major point of pride for me. I have really enjoyed developing fun programs with my Co-RAs.
So far, we’ve done floor dinners, late night ice skating, trick-or-treating, field days, game nights, and much more. What I find amazing about the LLC-specific programming is the opportunity to give the Whitman School curriculum and experience more context and meaning to my residents. In this role, I’ve worked with fellow RAs and professional faculty and staff to organize programs like alumni and advisor networking sessions, a study abroad panel, interactive stock market games and an immersion trip to New York City.
I also love being a resource to my residents when it comes to all things Whitman, whether it be giving advice about which courses to take, giving pointers for obtaining Excel certifications, or figuring out how to get involved in Whitman’s student activities.
Being the Resident Advisor for the Whitman Living Learning Community has been one of the highlights of my time at Syracuse University. I am so proud of the community that I’ve been able to help create over the past two years and am excited for all that’s to come for the Whitman LLC.
Author Jacquelyn Trotman is a junior at Syracuse University, dually enrolled in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Upon graduation, she intends to earn a Bachelor of Science in both Retail Management and Advertising—Creative Track. Trotman is also a Whitman and Newhouse Leadership Scholar, member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, and part of the Newhouse/VPA Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone. Outside of the classroom her involvement includes leadership in SU Retail Club, Black Honors Society, Renegade Magazine and the Pi Iota Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Her educational and professional pursuits are driven primarily by her passion for creative solutions, community-building, fashion, and social justice.
About the Martin J. Whitman School of Management: The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University inspires students for a world of accelerating change. Offering B.S., MBA, M.S., and Ph.D. programs, all accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Whitman School’s faculty includes internationally known scholars and researchers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Whitman continues to be ranked among the nation’s top business schools by U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. To learn more about the Whitman School of Management, visit Whitman.syracuse.edu.
DON’T MISS: SYRACUSE STORIES: HOW I LANDED MY SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT DELOITTE and SYRACUSE STORIES: FINDING THE SYRACUSE SPIRIT AT THE WHITMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
