Housing and Residence Life is happy to introduce this month’s featured Resident Assistants. Zachary Case and Jonathan Veenstra each joined staff this fall and work in Complex and Xavier Halls respectively. As fate would have it, they are both founding fathers of Phi Delta Theta fraternity here at Seton Hall!
Zach, who laughed throughout our entire interview and swears he is “always happy”, comes to Seton Hall from South Brunswick, NJ. He is an Accounting major with a minor in Spanish. When he isn’t serving as an RA or a founding father of Phi Delta Theta, which Zach says takes up the majority of his time, he enjoys watching “Riverdale” and “Survivor” and playing on his intramural volleyball team. Zach credits his RA, Tim, helping him through the adjustment of living with someone for the first time as his motivation for applying for a position. He wanted to help people like his RA helped him. Zach also loves the community he has established among the other RA’s on his staff, knowing that he can always count on a fellow RA to grab a meal with him in the dining hall. Zach, who works with students in our upperclass area, finds it easier to build relationships with his residents because they are familiar with campus and how they can utilize the RA. Zach encourages anyone going through this year’s RA selection process to be confident through the interview process and acknowledges that being selected from the alternate roster and hired as an RA has helped him become more confident in himself.
Where Zach enjoys volleyball and Netflix, Jon is a true blue Pirate Blue fan, splitting his time between being an RA in Xavier Hall and serving as one of the managers of the men’s basketball team. Jon’s passion for basketball is present in every aspect of his life, including academics, as he is a Sports Management major with hopes to take on Sports Media as a double major. Originally from North Haledon, Jon always has a built in “fun fact” for icebreakers because he is a triplet. Jon chose Seton Hall because of its reputable Sports Management program and can’t help but acknowledge his favorite color is blue, so SHU is a natural fit for him. Jon doesn’t believe you need to be an “in your face” person to be a successful RA. He channels his energies by being a quiet presence on the staff, making himself available and creating a safe space for his residents. They’ve seen his efforts and celebrated him when his “12 Dogs of Christmas” bulletin board won bulletin board of the month which made him feel good about the community he has created. Jon encourages anyone who is even considering the RA position to apply, because that’s the only way you’ll be able to learn about yourself throughout the interview process.
Housing and Residence Life will be hosting four more information sessions if you’re interested in joining the RA staff for 2018-2019.
