Roompact Welcomes its 2024 ACUHO-I Intern: Seferine Baez

We’d like to introduce you to our ACUHO-I intern for 2024, Seferine Baez! Seferine is helping us out with the development of a professional development curriculum for student staff. She brings a wealth of experience and talent to the team. We’re excited to have her.

Seferine Baez

Pronouns: She/Her/They

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Alma Mater:

Fitchburg State University, Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, minors in Secondary Education, Italian, Psychology, and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies
Boston University, Master of Education in Educational Policy, concentration in Higher Education Administration

Favorite Emoji: 🥺

What made you decide to apply for an ACUHO-I Internship?

I headed right into the workforce upon graduating, wanting to gain hands-on experience to supplement classroom learning. Even as an educator, I felt it was important to be actively learning by doing. I can say now that I have loved where my path has taken me. As a 10-monther at my full-time job in Residence Life, I get to continue searching for ways to sharpen my skills during summers and the ACUHO-I internship program offers just that! I get to meet fellow professionals who have insight to share with me about their process and best practices. As I continue to cultivate what my career will bring, the perspective I gain is critical in charting that path forward.

What philosophy or values inform your work?

I think about the personal, professional, and character development of students as holistic persons, not just productive machines at work. I also think about the life/work balance we teach(or not) in the collegiate space and am hoping to lead by example. With my identity and experiences as a first generation student, I think issues of imposter syndrome, financial literacy, networking, and self-advocacy are also top of mind. I believe that if we can design educational experiences to cater to those who need the most help navigating it, that benefits everyone.

What do you do for fun? Any hobbies?

My pandemic book club is still going strong. So far, we’ve been focused on nostalgic reads: the young adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic favorites from the early 2010s, especially those adapted into film or TV. I hope to find more time to write myself in the future. I spend most of my spare time with modern art, at local cinemas and restaurants, on and off-broadway, and at comedy shows and concerts.

What is something you are proud of?

At my alma mater, I was accepted to the Alumni Association Board of Directors right after Commencement and have now been serving nearly 7 years. I am honored to represent women of color, a group that doesn’t often have a seat at the table, and to work to make more room for a variety of experiences in our serving members. I have acted as chair of the Engagement Committee, sat on the Nominating and Scholarship Committees, and represented on university planning committees for the Quasquicentennial(125th), Homecoming, our MLK event series, our Women’s History month event series, and our annual Community Read. Two years ago, I stepped into the role of Treasurer and this summer, I’ll be the youngest and only person of color to be sworn in as President-Elect.