JOHN NICKLOS, A NONTRADITIONAL CA

In many ways, John Nicklos is �typical� of UH�s nontraditional students. He is older, 26, and is a transfer student from Prairie View A&M. He is working on his bachelor�s degree in entrepreneurship and marketing at Bauer College of Business. After transferring, he emersed himself into the Cougar Life, becoming a Community Assistant (CA) at Calhoun Lofts, the University of Houston�s graduate and upperclassman residential facility.

Nicklos applied to become a CA at Calhoun Lofts because he liked the atmosphere there and had friends who were also resident assistants (RA) or CAs. He had been a residential service technician at Prairie View in the freshman building and wanted to continue working in residence life. Nicklos sees one of his primary duties as fostering a sense of community at Calhoun Lofts.

�It should be like the TV show Cheers, where �everybody knows your name�,� Nicklos said.

In addition to community-building, CAs do a variety of other tasks. It is a 24/7 job. Nicklos may facilitate solutions to maintenance requests or could be the point of contact for residents having problems with a significant other or family members. He may be called upon to mediate a dispute between neighbors or roommates or to host a social or educational program. He may simply provide the number to Pizza Hut or find a ride home for a resident who requires transportation assistance. He does whatever he can to ensure residents can pursue their degrees and enjoy their college experience. Nicklos is the residents� resource person.

�Residents may be fearful to approach people behind desks because of how they will be judged,� Nicklos said. �They don�t fear me because I am the same as the residents - I study when they do; party when they do; go to class with them; live in the same building and have the same problems they do. When the fire alarm goes off, I am out there in the cold with them.�

There are many parts of the job that he loves. Nicklos said his favorite part is when he assists someone, and they shake his hand and say he helped. Another part he likes is throwing a social program for the residents, for example, the Super Bowl party in February. Also, the Residential Life and Housing staff is very interested in CA careers and training, and he appreciates that they solicit his opinion.

Is there a difference between working with freshmen and working with graduate and older students? Nicklos said yes, a big difference.

�Freshmen will accept anything you give to them; grads know exactly what they need. It is like offering food to a homeless man and to Donald Trump. The homeless man will accept any food you have to give, but Donald will order precisely the meal that he wants.� Nicklos feels that he had more impact on the freshmen at Prairie View. �With the grads, you are working with your peers. They are asking for your input, not for you to give them the answer.�

When asked if he would do anything differently, Nicklos said that he would like to encourage more resources for transfer students. �Transfer students tend to be overlooked because they get lumped in with other students. They are older, but they don�t know a lot of things, like where things are, what resources are available or how things work.�

Nicklos said that some of this information can have a great impact on their college career, for instance, where to find the proper form to transfer classes or what fees pay for. Or this information may affect their enjoyment of college life, such as how to tailgate or what events provide free t-shirts. Nicklos would like to start a College 101 blog to help transfer students assimilate to the UH environment.

Would he recommend this job to others? Nicklos said, �Yes; it teaches you to be a Servant Leader. One of my favorite quotes is �A leader doesn�t influence his followers by his position, but by his charisma.��

Nicklos feels that the CA or RA job helps students to develop those leadership skills. He urges residents to apply for those positions.

�It is a job like no other,� he said.

For more information about Residential Life & Housing visit http://www.housing.uh.edu/ .