Residence Hall Association hostsTruman’s first regional leadership conference

Truman State University’s Residence Hall Association  is preparing to host its first Regional Leadership Conference on campus. The conference is set to take place Oct. 24-26 in Baldwin Hall and the SUB.

Senior Cecilia Stokes, president of RHA, said the organization is focused on advocating for students who live on campus and creating campus engagement. Stokes said this is a major milestone for the organization. 

“I think it’s going to show that small schools can participate in a big way,” Stokes said. “For most organizations, there was a big slope in membership [after COVID] … To grow to the point where we are comfortably able to host a conference also just shows us, Res Life, and the university that RHA is a serious organization that can host big things.”

Meagan Kitko, president of RHA’s sister organization, National Residence Hall Honorary , said RHA had to bid for the University to host the conference. Kitko said the University was competing against another school in the region and was ultimately voted to host the conference. 

Kitko said preparing for the conference has strengthened members’ leadership and communication skills. She said RHA members are working diligently to ensure the event runs smoothly for everyone involved. 

“It’s enhanced our ability to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Kitko said. “And for those attending, it’s a great opportunity for networking because they are meeting people from around the region that are coming to this conference.”

Kitko said the conference will feature educational sessions where attendees present what their organizations have implemented into their work. Kitko said this includes different leadership styles and events that have proven to be successful. 

  Hunter King, regional co-chair of RHA, said the organization has strengthened his skills during his time at Truman. King said he has held many different positions while at Truman and has had the opportunity to apply them to this event.

“This is my last year at Truman,” King said. “Being able to apply these different Truman experiences toward this conference [is] a very clear example of growth for me and kind of a build up toward this.”

Katelin Mathis, advisor for RHA, said the organization is dedicated to building leadership skills in the students involved. Mathis said the organization pushes the students to lead and create communities, giving them hands-on experiences.

Mathis said RHA is expecting about 150 attendees from the Midwest region to attend, which is above average for a leadership conference. The attendees will be housed in Centennial Hall during their stay, while the main activities will be hosted in Baldwin Hall and the SUB. Mathis said the organization has had great support from across the university, which has given RHA a lot of excitement and momentum to continue doing great things in the future.