Mark Houlemarde,
Residence
Hall Director at Cornell University
Mark
is one of the most intelligent people I have had the pleasure of speaking with.
The second I got off the phone with him, I just had to pause to process how
much I felt like I learned from him...
Grad school advice? Mark chose to do
his Masters through the HESA program at Indiana University because he was
attracted to the faculty. In undergrad, he studied Race and Ethnic Studies and had
an interest in how students define diversity and how they make sense of their
social circles. He suggested I take a look at the research interests of the
faculty at different schools and see if that matches up with my professional
interests. Also, when I get involved in grad programs and assistantships, I
shouldn’t be afraid to also ask for opportunities outside of what I am doing. He
mentioned being a grad student is a great opportunity because people know I’m still
learning so they are willing to help.
Housing? Something different? Best of both worlds? Sometimes one of
my concerns is that because I have so many great experiences within housing, I
am not really exposed to the opportunities outside of it. So as much as I can
see a career for myself in housing, maybe there is something else out there I can
grow to be passionate about also but just haven’t had the chance to learn that
yet. Mark mentioned that there’s housing but there’s a lot to housing. I know
that there are a lot of opportunities to work with different parts of the
University and also be a part of collaborating different divisions. For
example, Mark mentioned being in Res Life but also working to collaborate programs
with Greek Life. So basically even if I do choose to stay within my love for
housing, that doesn’t close the door to working with other
aspects of Student Affairs.
Assessment again! The second Mark
started talking about the importance of assessment, I could immediately hear
the influence of Tony in his voice. Mark talked about the value in basing
fundamental program development on assessment. I really liked the idea of “Here’s
what we’re doing, here’s what we’ve done well, and here’s what we can improve
on.” There really is so much potential for development if that data is used to assess
why we do programs and justify what it’s being done.
What ideas or
thoughts inspired or motivated you to get started? Mark mentioned
that as the diversity of the field changes, there are things we have to change.
As a professional, he felt like he could be a part of that change. // Mark also
mentioned the changing demographics on college campuses. I really connected to
this idea about the demographics of the campus having a real affect on the
student life experience. Being a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where the
demographics are literally 65% white, our student life organizations look very
different from the types of things my friends at UC Berkeley are involved in. Being
aware of how different campus dynamics can be really inspires me to know that
as a Student Affairs professional, I can play a real role in the learning processes
in these different social experiences.
What is your ultimate professional goal in this
field? “I don’t know. I’m going to have to talk to some people before I
figure that out. I feel like there’s a lot of opportunities.” // I think
sometimes I can put too much pressure on myself to feel like I need to have the
rest of my life completely planned out. It’s good to be reminded once in a
while, that it really is ok not to have every single thing figured out. And to
appreciate the support system I have around me as I try to figure things out.
What are some of the challenges you have had to
face? It can be challenging to work with people who think differently
from you. As a professional, Mark always
tries to do his best to really articulate what he knows from a student’s
perspective/experience and "triangulate" that with what data or theories suggest.
For example, in order to say “Here’s why I need a better lounge space for a Res
Hall” you need to be able to take that information to different departments
that each has their own needs and focuses. In working with so many other
departments, you have to figure out how you can transfer what you know so that
it’s more appealing and relevant to them. One of those things I will keep in
mind for the rest of my professional career: Being a professional is about
taking what you know and articulating it in a way that is best for you are
talking to.
What is the most important thing that someone
planning to enter this field should know? Networking. This field is notorious for
networking and you’ll probably get sick of how much people say it is a small
field. Mark said that actually motivates him to always try to do the best work he can
because he knows that at any time, he can be working with people that will be
his future bosses.
