SARAH CLAYTON
Oversees: North Rim Apartments, with JP Tanner
Age: 27
Hometown: Glenwood Springs, Colo.
GCU experiences: I graduated from GCU in 2007 with my bachelor’s in elementary education. After searching for teaching jobs after my senior year, my old boss called and asked if I would be interested in an assistant resident director position at the North Rim Apartments. I served as ARD for two years and earned my master’s in education. I got married in the summer of 2009 and then started as an RD in the fall. I am now starting my fourth year as RD. If you add that up, this year marks 10 years at GCU!
Q: You’re one of the few married people living on campus. What’s married life like in a college setting?
A: My husband, Matt, and I graduated from GCU so North Rim had been a home to both of us before we got married. We love living on campus. Personally, I have never really known any different. It is fun to be part of a community and we both enjoy living life with college students. Some are like family to us and others have become lifelong friends.
Q: As a lover of the outdoors, where are some of your favorite places to hike/bike/etc. in the Valley? And outside the Valley?
A: I love to hike Camelback Mountain with friends at 5 in the morning. It is hard to wake up sometimes, but that’s the best time to hike. I also love to go home to Colorado to hike, bike, raft and ski.
Q: What other activities are you involved in outside of GCU?
A: My husband and I serve in children’s ministry at our church, Redemption Arcadia. Matt coaches football for Scottsdale Christian Academy, so I attend high school football games under the Friday night lights during the season.
Q: How do you approach your daily work? Describe a day in the life of an RD at your residence hall.
A: Each day is different, which is why I love my job so much. You never know what you are going to encounter. That is where the adventure comes in. Sure, you have scheduled meetings and such, but you never know when a student is going to need a shoulder to cry on, a ride to the store, help with an overflowing toilet, or someone to talk to while processing decisions or figuring out what is next in their life.
Q: Why take a job as a residence director? What’s rewarding about your job?
A: I don’t know why you wouldn’t take a job as a resident director. It is fun, rewarding, full of adventure and opportunities for growth. The most rewarding part is the relationships you build with students and having the privilege to be a part of their lives for this season, walking through life’s ups and downs with them, and learning just as much from them as they do from you.
