We’d like to introduce you to our ACUHO-I intern for 2022, Patricia Harvel! Patricia is helping us out in a number of campus facing roles–from helping with our efforts to be a better B-Corp to developing resources of use to residence life professionals. We love the ideas and enthusiasm she brings to our team.
Patricia Harvel
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hometown: Picayune, MS
Alma Mater:
- Mississippi State University, Bachelors of Business Administration with a Concentration in Economics and a Minor in Marketing
Favorite Emoji: 🦥
What made you decide to apply for an ACUHO-I Internship?
When it came time to apply for internship opportunities, I knew I wanted a unique opportunity that could help me grow my knowledge of all things related to housing and residence life. After much research, I found the ACUHO-I portal. The ACUHO-I portal is user-friendly and an extremely useful tool for any student seeking experience in the Student Affairs field. It was super important to me to find an experience that would not only allow me to grow my knowledge and skills but also help me develop more of an understanding of how to make a lasting impact on the students and universities I work with now and in the future. I knew that ACUHO-I could provide me with ability to apply for internships that sparked my interest. After going through the ACUHO-I process, I believe ACUHO-I is fully committed to providing future Student Affairs professionals with experiences that allow them to grow and flourish in this field.
Why are you excited to work at Roompact?
I am beyond excited to be working with Roompact this summer! The minute I read Roompact’s ACUHO-I posting, I immediately knew the internship was the perfect fit for me. The internship stood out to me because I knew I would be able to combine my passion and experiences in both residence life and business. I look forward to taking on projects, collaborating with the team, and overall expanding my knowledge and skill set. I am so happy to have the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally in this role. The Roompact team and its history is inspiring. I admire how hard-working and passionate the company is in its efforts to help advance and innovate the field of student affairs.
What philosophy or values inform your work?
One value that informs my work is to always remember my Why. As Student Affairs professionals, we all came into this field because of an experience or interaction we most likely had in college. Those experiences lead each of us to the motivation behind joining the field. I think it is important to remember why you are here because it creates a determination for us to do our best for our students, even on days when it might not feel possible. When you remember how you got to where you are today, you start to remember some of the struggles or difficulties you may have faced during your journey. I think remembering those struggles can help us as professionals understand what our students are experiencing during their college journeys.
What were you involved in when you were a student in college?
Like a lot of my fellow student affairs professionals, I was involved in Housing and Residence Life as an undergrad. I started as an Information Assistant and then went on to be a Resident Advisor for a few years. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back to Mississippi State University and be a Graduate Residence Director. In addition, I was also heavily involved in the Economics club during undergrad. I believe the Economics club is still one of the coolest clubs on campus.
What is one fun fact that not many people know about you?
One fun fact about me is that I got to hold a sloth. I have always dreamed of seeing a sloth up close, but I never thought it would be possible. The day I got to hold the sloth was the best day ever, and I may have cried because I was so happy. Fun fact, sloths are actually heavy when you hold them.
