All throughout high school, I planned on living on campus in a residential hall to get the “full college experience.” Once I decided on Loyola, however, my parents and I had to discuss our options, because I live close enough to commute. I still wanted to live on campus, but it wasn’t until a month before my first year, that I found out that this wouldn’t be a reality for me.
Of course I was disappointed, but once I got back to campus for Wolfpack Welcome, I got really excited. At Wolfpack Welcome I was presented with tons of opportunities to get involved and meet new people, but I still needed to get accustomed to the commuter lifestyle.
I commute from Harvey, Louisiana, which is about a 35-45 minute drive, depending on traffic. My first year of commuting was definitely a year of trial and error. Of course I had to get used to the commute itself, which included time management and knowledge of routes.
However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I had to overcome my complete awkwardness and find my own way on campus. While it does take extra effort to stay involved as a commuter, it has actually been the driving force behind me getting involved. I became determined to get as involved as possible and make the most out of my college experience.
This didn’t happen overnight – it has been a three-year process for me. I was very shy and much more comfortable around people I knew my first year, but I stepped outside of my comfort zone by joining the Emerging Leaders program and becoming a Krewe Leader during my first year.
During my sophomore year, I began spending more and more time on campus, took higher leadership roles and developed close relationships with other students.
This year has been the most comfortable for me. I am now the director of administration for Programming Branch of SGA, krewe leader coordinator for New Student Orientation and the new member educator of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
My involvement has allowed me to find a home in the Loyola community and my niche.
The one thing that I have learned and have tried to instill in other students over the past three years is that whether you live on campus or not, the “college experience” is exactly what you make it. Getting involved in the Loyola and the New Orleans community allows you to expand who you are as a person.
One organization that has played one of the largest roles in my Loyola experience has been The Commuter Student Association, which was recently chartered by SGA.
Several other students and I began the process of creating this organization my first year, but it unfortunately didn’t come to fruition until recently. This year, I have proudly watched several sophomores and first-year students bring the organization to life. They have put in many hours recruiting members, fine-tuning the constitution and promoting the organization to the student body. I have talked with their executive board, who has great ideas on ways to reach out to commuters and be their resource here on campus.
These commuter students have disproven the many misconceptions about commuter involvement on campus. Their executive board members are great role models for all students because they stay involved in a variety of campus organizations and activities. Furthermore, they have made the commuter lounge their home away from home.
When I was a first-year student it was utilized minimally, but I have watched it become the hang out spot for commuters and residents alike.
I couldn’t be more proud of the Commuter Student Association, because they are showing the Loyola community and other incoming commuters that the “college experience” doesn’t revolve around which residential hall you live in, but rather how you put yourself out there and get involved in campus life.
Kayla Mitchell can be reached at [email protected]
