ASHLEY SPROTBERRY
Oversees: Camelback Hall, with Taylor Fagg
Age: 26
Hometown: Port Huron, Mich. (right on Lake Huron and the border with Canada)
GCU experiences: I transferred to GCU for my junior year and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I worked last year as resident director at Hegel Hall and as an assistant RD before that. Currently, I'm working on my master’s degree in Christian leadership.
Q: With the campus and student population growing so rapidly, what’s important for RDs to do to be available to individual students?
A: Be around. I have found that being intentional about being present in the dorm, stopping by hall events, and going to campus events allows me to see students in their element. Being present shows students you are available and approachable.
Q: You’re tasked with overseeing the brand new Camelback Hall this semester. What’s unique about your role working with students in such a new residence hall, and what can students expect when they move into their rooms in August?
A: Working in a new dorm gives me the opportunity to help build the community and traditions. It’s a blank slate, which gives us the opportunity to make it our own. The dorm will be brand new, so students can expect fresh paint, new carpet and a very excited residence hall staff.
Q: Why take a job as a residence director? What’s rewarding about your job?
A: I get the opportunity to work with some really great RAs and a great group of professional staff members. The residence life team as a whole is really like a family here at GCU. We aren’t just co-workers. We are also friends. Being an RD allows me to see how students grow here at GCU. I get to truly live life with the students on campus.
Q: Sounds like you’re pretty into music. What’s in your iPod right now? And what have students turned you on to lately?
A: My taste is pretty eclectic, so my iPod is too. I love everything from Bon Jovi to Story of the Year to Phil Wickham to Underoath to The Civil Wars to Jay-Z to Every Avenue. Most recently, students have turned me on to artists like The Civil Wars, Gotye, Drake and FUN.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories from living in dorms when you were an undergrad?
A: I remember running around with friends during a monsoon and jumping in puddles. People looked at us like we were crazy when we came back in Hegel, but it was a lot of fun! Also, I remember one time when a couple friends and I pulled a prank on someone where we stuffed their doorway with the pages from 14 phonebooks and then covered it with plastic wrap. When he got home, he found it and couldn’t get into his room. Priceless!
