BEING AN R.A
Eye Opening
Being an R.A is a very tough job, especially since you are a student. Everyday there is something to do and once you think you are done, there are about 10 other things you have to do, fix, or improve. There are days where you will go to class like a zombie and not able to pay attention to your professor's lecture on why the Louisiana Purchase was fundamental for the U.S's idea of Manifest Destiny.
While the job is extremely demanding the experience you get out of it is priceless. Being able to show residents skills that will benefit them in the future gives you a feeling of pride and accomplishment because you know that they are more developed because of your help. Sure there will be some residents that could not care less about what you do but someday they will see that whatever you were trying to help them with was for their benefit. Not only that, having residents that really appreciate the work that you do seriously makes you feel appreciated.
Another thing that will impact you as a person is the team you work with. You pretty much live with your team and they can either be just your coworker or they can be your home away from home. Because the job is so demanding and sometimes taxing on you, having a team that knows exactly how much stress you're under and their attitude of "we have your back" makes you feel like you're never alone, and there is someone there that you can talk to and have a good time with. There is definitely a possibility that your team can become part of your family.
Miner Canyon Team
Get to Know Us
Amanda Espinoza
Program Assistant
Mandy is the R.A of the first floor of Copper Hall and is the P.A for Miner Canyon. She is also studying her Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in EC-6 Generalist to be a teacher for Elementary students. Mandy has also worked for the department of Residence Life at UTEP prior to becoming Program Assistant. She has served the department as a Desk Attendant for Miner Village as well as an SCA (Summer Conference Assistant), a summer R.A, for Miner Village. Moving forward, Mandy has also served Miner Canyon as a Resident Assistant for the Fall 2016/Spring 2017 school year.
Demi Williams
Resident Assistant
Demi is the R.A of the second floor of Copper Hall and is currently studying her Bachelors Degree in Multidisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Health and Wellness, Topics in Liberal Arts, and Communication and is still thinking about a specific field to enter after she earns her degree. In addition, Demi is a transfer student from U.T Austin and has also served the University in the Department of Student Affairs as a Go Center Mentor with the Collaborative of Academic Excellence where she assisted High School students in preparing for their futures as college students by helping them with college applications, financial aid, and scholarships.
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Brianna Thornton
Resident Assistant
Brianna is the R.A for the fourth floor of Copper Hall and is currently studying her Bachelors of Health Science in Kinesiology to be an Physical Therapist for major league sports. During her time as a first time Resident Assistant, Brianna has become inducted into the A.K.A (Alpha Kappa Alpha) Sorority Inc., an organization that allows empowered collegiate female students of to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards.
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Jocelyn Alvarez De Toledo Aguilar
Resident Assistant
Jossy is the R.A for the first floor of Whispering Springs at Miner Canyon and a returner R.A like Mandy. Currently, Jossy is studying her Bachelors Degree in Nursing with a minor in Biology in hopes to provide aid to communities that cannot afford traditional medical care. Jossy has not only served as a Resident Assistant for Residence Life in the Fall 2016/Spring 2017 school year, but has also served her university as an Orientation Leader for summer orientation where she guided incoming Miners around UTEP and inspire them to work hard and to never give up on themselves as they progress through their higher education.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez Trejo
Resident Assistant
Tony is the R.A for the second floor and half of the third floor for Whispering Springs and is currently working toward his Bachelors Degree of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Tony in an international student from Zacatecas, Mexico and was top of his class in his high school. During his time as a Resident Assistant, he was able to greatly benefit the department of Residence Life by offering his skills of photography, graphic design, film, and video editing, allowing the department to have beautiful photos of the staff as well as very well conducted informational videos for the residents.
Briana Dominguez
Resident Assistant
Briana is the R.A for the fourth floor and half of the third floor of Whispering Springs and is currently studying her Bachelors Degree in Business Marketing with a minor in communication Studies. Briana not only serves UTEP in the department of Residence Life as an R.A but also in Admissions allowing students the opportunity to achieve their higher education at UTEP. During her time as a first time R.A, Briana has served as Vice President of Chapter Operations for the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi (DSP). DSP is a professional fraternity fostered to study business in universities which give back to the community by providing community service as well as holding professional events. As Chapter Vice President of Chapter Operations, Briana was responsible for the logistics for DSP such as making sure members are attending events which they are registered for and for keeping track of attendance.