Tori Trapanick. Photo by Michael Fuller.
With the removal of the Assistant Resident Director (ARD) job, many may wonder who will fill the role and responsibilities of the former position. This past week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tori Trapanick who joined the Residence Life staff this year as one of two Community Coordinators, a new position absorbing former ARD tasks.
LG: Can you tell me more about your position as a community coordinator?
TT: The position is out of residence life and we have several different jobs. I refer to it as a resource bucket, which is one way of looking at it. I work with DCs, specifically the Founders and Mac DCs while the other community coordinator works with Carter, Andreas, and Transitional Housing DCs. We also work with Janet Hulsey in the Center for Student Success and meet with students on academic probation to make sure they are enjoying their classes and have the study tools they need. Another part of the job, which is pretty open, is that students can come to us with ideas or conversations happening around campus and who may want to plan a program, or have a faculty or staff member speak, but might not know where to start. They can come to a community coordinator and we can help them pull resources and get in contact with the right people.
LG: Where were you before this position at Covenant?
TT: I graduated from Geneva College this past May, so I’m right out of school. I was a psychology major and minored in human services and leadership. I’m currently working on my master’s degree in higher education through Geneva. I’m a full time student as well as a community coordinator.
LG: What would you want students to know about you?
TT: I’m originally from Pittsburg, though my family recently moved to Memphis, Tennessee. I love spending time with people. I’m also pretty outdoorsy, I love kayaking, I could do it all day! My favorite color is blue and I like pancakes on a Saturday morning.
LG: Do you have any future plans for your higher education masters?
TT: Right now, the big dream is to become an RD, but eventually move into an administrative role. Working as an associate dean or vice president would be great. That’s way down the road, but becoming an RD is the first step.
LG: Do you like Chattanooga so far?
TT: I do! Chattanooga reminds me of a smaller Pittsburg but with fewer bridges. It has a similar cultural feel and plenty of opportunities.
Let’s welcome Tori into life here at Covenant, and if you ever need event-planning resources or have a spare kayak, let her know!