(KLZA) -- Sixteen Peru State students will spend the 2013-14 academic year serving their peers as Resident Assistants (RAs) and Fusion Mentors for the college’s Office of Residence Life.

Dean of Student Life Kristiaan Rawlings said, “The Residence Life staff plays an important role in helping our students engage with the campus community. Staff members have extensive contact with students and accept a great deal of the responsibility for ensuring a successful on-campus experience for our students. These students were selected based on their demonstrated leadership, dedication to Peru State and because they met our high standard of excellence.”

RAs and Fusion Mentors were selected after completing an extensive application and interview process. To qualify for the positions, students must:

·       Have lived in a residence hall for two semesters.

·       Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.

·       Be free from any form of social/academic probation.

·       Be willing to work with a diverse group of people.

·       Be willing to engage their peers in a holistic approach to their educational experience at Peru State.

RAs serve students in the college’s three residential facilities - Morgan Hall, Delzell Hall and the Centennial Complex - as peer advisors and assist the hall director with administrative duties. RAs help encourage an atmosphere promoting educational and personal growth, mutual respect, citizenship and an appreciation of diversity. They are responsible for programming and floor activities, checking students in and out of the residence hall, ensuring compliance with housing policies and acting as a resource for residents. They have been trained to assist in the creation of positive living environments and keep students up-to-date on campus and housing events and facilitate programming to enhance the academic experience outside the classroom.

The Freshman Fusion Experience Program is designed for first-year students who choose to live as a community of learners in Mathews Hall and pledge to remain substance free. Fusion Mentors are student leaders and role models who receive extensive training to assist their mentees with issues such as high school to college transition, self-awareness, personal decision making, working and living with others, service leadership, etc. Mentors have many of the responsibilities of RAs and meet one-on-one with their mentees to help ensure a successful first-year experience. 

RAs and Fusion Mentors are listed below alphabetically by hometown.

Malawi, Africa

Lilongwe

Ama Bikoko, Freshman – Pre-Med, Psychology & Journalism             

Iowa

Council Bluffs

Doug Kelsey, Freshman - Criminal Justice                              

Glenwood,

Patrick King, Junior - Elementary Education

Nebraska

Bellevue                                

Mary-Catherine Jacobsen, Senior - Middle Grades Education                                   

Burchard

Susan Sisco, Freshman – Art Education                                 

Cozad

Allie Buesing, Sophomore - Health & Physical Education                             

Falls City

Ryan Bauman, Sophomore - Art                                 

Johnson

Ryan Carr, Sophomore – Elementary Education

Lincoln

Ellen Larsen, Junior - K-12 Special Education                       

Lindsey Toman, Sophomore - Early Childhood Education                             

Omaha

Janessa Davis, Freshman - Criminal Justice                            

Jennifer Trapp, Senior - Graphic Design                    

Murray

Jessica Merrill, Sophomore – Business Administration           

Reynolds

Cassie Leonard, Junior - Mathematics            

Waverly

Alexis Fudge, Sophomore - Early Childhood Education                                 

For more information about Peru State’s Residence Life program, contact Rawlings at 402-872-2246 or krawlings@peru.edu.