When I think of the word “outstanding”, the thought that something happened that caused an individual to alter their every day lifestyle. Going away to college is always a big step for students. It seems like the older one becomes, the easier it is to adjust to being away from home, but that is not always true. Often times, it is harder because the older one becomes, the more responsibilities one has, so any slight alter calls for an “outstanding” individual to be resilient. I would like to take the time to recognize Sineyda Ortiz for the month of August. Sineyda was the very first resident that I created a relationship with in my community because she was here during the RA fall training. Every since the day I met Sineyda, she has been a joy to have in my community. Although, I knew that she was a Graduate Student, I could tell that she was living in fear.

In the beginning, Sineyda had some anxiety about being active in the community. She explained to me that she was living in the Residence Hall (Lincoln) because this was her first time being away from her family and she would have felt secluded from the university living in an apartment -- her interactions with individuals would be limited.

I was elated when I found out that she was a Graduate Assistant (GA) in the Lantz Arena (Rec.) because I knew that this would give her an opportunity to interact with more individuals on campus. She was already making a difference someone’s life by trying to get everyone to participate in fitness classes. Granted, increasing the fitness classes rates is apart of her job, but I could tell that she was excited about having the opportunity to work for the Rec..

To this day, I have seen a major improvement in Sineyda’s personality. She is more confident in the way that she interacts with other residents in our community; she is already beginning to form relationships with others. She participates in events and meeting (if she is not at work). Yesterday, August 29, 2019, she took on the position of being the Recycling Chair member in Lincoln Hall. She has signed up to be a volunteer in the Special Olympics that is being held in Matton, Illinois for community service. Participating as a volunteer is Sineyda’s way of giving back to the community. Even though, there is a time difference from her hometown, she is making time to include her family in her day. I applaud her for being away from her husband because many people are not able to make such a strong commitment (to be away from their spouse).

There is not a day that goes by that Sineyda does not come to check on me. Words cannot explain how much I appreciate her visits. She goes out of her way to ensure me that she appreciates the things that I do for our community, and for that, I am grateful. Any Resident Assistant (RA) would be lucky to have Sineyda as a resident. I hope that she continues to grow as a person and gets the results that she has set for herself. I AM PROUD OF YOU!

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