Profile

Transfer student to student leader

Allison Miller

As the 2019-2020 assistant resident director (ARD) of Kresge Hall, Stephanie Echeverry is busy with many responsibilities in and out of the dorm.

Echeverry has not always been in this type of role here at Asbury. Echeverry actually came to Asbury two years ago as a transfer student. She started her academic career at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois studying biology and chemistry. She enjoyed her time at Quincy but felt called to missions rather than science.

The summer after her freshman year at Quincy, Echeverry worked at Adventure Serve in Wilmore, Kentucky. That summer, she met Dr. Mark Troyer, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Strategic Partnership at Asbury University. He told her she should apply and helped her receive scholarships. Since Asbury had a program with missions, Echeverry thought it was an opportunity she needed to take.

Transferring to a different college is not unusual for students. According to the Washington Post, more than a third of college students transfer and almost half of those students do it more than once. Echeverry felt very alone her first year after she transferred, and she felt like nobody was able to relate to her.

“People treated me like a freshman and like I didn’t know anything,” said Echeverry. “I already knew how college worked; I just needed to know how to be an Asbury student.”

During her second semester at Asbury, she decided to reach out to others and try to make more friends. She also reached out to Kim Levengood, the resident director of Kresge Hall. She felt comfortable talking to her about her struggles and also enjoyed her company as a friend.

“That semester Kim basically forced me to be an RA,” said Echeverry. “I didn’t think I could because I was a transfer student. But Kim saw leadership potential in me, and I definitely think God wanted me to be an RA.”

During her second year at Asbury, Echeverry was the resident assistant (RA) in Kresge. She was nervous to be a leader since she had struggled at Asbury the year before. She also doubted her abilities to lead at Asbury since she had transferred in only a year before. However, she was able to use her stories of struggling as a new student to relate to her residents.

After being an RA for a year, Echeverry decided she really liked being a leader, but wanted to try something new. She wanted to continue working in Resident Life, so she applied to be the ARD for Kresge. She liked how being ARD would give her the excuse to know anybody and everybody in the dorm.

Madi Morelock, a junior at Asbury, talks about how Echeverry has impacted her while being the ARD.

“She encourages community by talking to people as if she’s known them forever,” said Morelock. “Stephanie has helped me and other girls in the dorm get more involved in activities on campus.”

Echeverry said that being ARD also helps her be a leader outside of the dorm. She attends Asbury Student Congress (ASC) and Student Governance Association (SGA) meetings. But she also gets to build community with the girls in Kresge. She still uses her experiences from transferring and having a rough first year at Asbury to relate to other girls and help encourage them.

“I think student leadership is very important,” said Echeverry. “Leaders get to be the hands and feet of Christ. Being a leader helps you learn more about yourself and find out what you’re good at, but also what you’re not good at. But you eventually come to the end of yourself and let God take over.”

Echeverry is grateful for her experiences, even though they were difficult at the time. Her experiences transferring and navigating through different leadership positions helped her learn and grow, and she hopes other people who are like her will have the courage to take on responsibilities that they may be too scared to try.

“If someone wonders whether or not they should try for a leadership position, just do it,” said Echeverry. “The second you start to second guess something, you miss opportunities due to fear. Putting yourself out there helps you gain confidence and grow spiritually. You will fail and people will criticize you, but you will learn and grow and be more prepared for the real world.”