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As someone who is building a career helping students navigate college, Phoenix Sadd will be the first to admit that he struggled when he first arrived on campus.
“I had no idea what I was doing,” he said. “I'm a first-gen student, so I didn't really have any point of reference for what this whole college thing was.”
Eventually, Phoenix found his footing. He got involved in learning communities, joined a fraternity and began to get his long list of questions about college answered. When the opportunity to apply to be a resident assistant came up his junior year, he saw a chance to channel his early struggles into experiences that could benefit other Huskers.
"By that time, I'd actually figured out a little bit of what this college thing is. Stuff like: ‘Where do I go? What questions do I ask? What things are working for me? What things don't work for me?’” Phoenix said. “I wanted to be a resource for others when they have questions so they don't have to do it all the hard way.”
During his two years as a resident assistant, Phoenix went the extra mile to keep Huskers on his floor connected and engaged through year-round activities.
Years later, they are still stopping him to say thank you.
“It's moments like that where you go, ‘Wow, I am actually making a change,’” he said. “To be able to help people find direction was something I had always wanted. To feel like I'm doing what I set out to do is really powerful.”
Today, Phoenix is a Husker graduate and the residence director for Massengale Residential Center. As he's training up resident assistants and preparing to welcome Huskers back to campus, he’s hoping students take advantage of the built-in community and guidance resident assistants have to offer.
“My job is to make sure that students are getting everything they need to be successful, and RAs are one step closer than I am to students,” he said. “Talk to your RAs: They have the info and resources to help you figure things out. College is tricky — I had no idea what to do when I was getting here and found people to help me, and RAs can do the same for you.”
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Editor’s Note — “One of U” is a Nebraska Today series that shines a light on the inspiring work and unwavering dedication of staff members at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. These stories honor those who go above and beyond to support student success and strengthen our Husker community. To nominate someone for the series, please contact Troy Fedderson at tfedderson2@unl.edu.
