Meet the Team
Learn more about our amazing team and read some of their first had experiences when working at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.
Susan Hua
Residence Director
Special Resources:
"As professionals that work directly with students to ensure their holistic well-being, we do our best to be attentive and tuned into their academic and mental health. Not only do we have a Housing Success Center that provides more academic engagement to our students through tutoring, we are fortunate enough to have five Counselors-in-Residence (CIR) who operate on a weekly on-call rotation to be a first responder to students with immediate need for resources. The bridging of these resources help us be effective advocates for our students of concern, and aid us in navigating the various departments at UH Manoa to best support them. The CIR program has been recognized with an Innovative Program Award through NASPA Western Regional Conference 2016."
Julian Cepeda
Residence Director
Transition:
"In transitioning to Oahu, I felt that it was a very seamless process, as we jumped right into professional staff training after settling into my apartment. Through the professional staff training we were given warrior buddies, a veteran staff member, who was our mentors throughout the process of learning the workplace and understanding the position. We gained hands on training on some of the processes within the position, and also gained a valuable insight of the students experience. In learning the position, we also went on field trips every week to different parts of the island where we were able to learn more about one another outside of work, but also experience some of the islands finest places. My transition has truly been a seamless process and I appreciate how welcoming everyone has been here and through it all have taken the time to get to know me, and help me set and achieve my goals."
Elisa Ongosia
Residence Director
Resident Interactions:
"I have found residents to be genuine, curious , and full of questions. Residents are always seeking help and guidance, and enjoy interacting with staff. Residents will always appreciate there interaction with you if you make the time to talk to them in person. As a Residence Director one will deal with various situations, and in all those situations I have learned to form a bond with each resident I encounter through helping in the best way that I can. Through these interactions whether it be a friendly greet during a check-in, addressing policy violations, providing directions, or through email, I have formed a respected bond with my residents."
Jesse Singleton
Residence Director
Conduct:
"We have two avenues for adjudicating student conduct, a formal process and an informal process. The majority of the student conduct is managed through the informal process, and it is grounded in the idea of creating dialogue and space for student learning. Our goal in the informal process is to come to an agreed resolution with the student on whether or not a violation occurred and the sanctions appropriate for a violation they are responsible for. Formal cases are generally for more serious alleged offenses and students who have repeatedly violated policy, and is less about coming to an agreement with the student and more about rendering a decision based on the evidence in the incident report and the meeting with the student. Our role as adjudicators in either process is to encourage reflective learning while also holding students accountable for their decisions. In my personal experience adjudicating conduct here, I’ve found that the focus on dialogue and mutual agreement for the majority of conduct cases has tended to foster greater student engagement in the overall process."
Ivy Barefoot
Residence Director
Accommodation:
"Every RD is provided an on campus apartment and a weekly meal plan. Each apartment is within the community you oversee and comes with a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. I love my apartment because it is my hide away spot after a long day of work! But I appreciate its proximity to my RAs and residents in case of emergencies. Our department takes each individual RD personal life and needs into consideration (spouses, children etc.). One of the best things about being a RD at UH is that you are allowed to have a family/friend live with you on campus. My husband lives with me in our on campus apartment and he is provided a key to our apartment and I am allowed to use my meal plan on him. Overall it is has been a great experience living on campus. Finding an affordable place to live in Hawaii can be tough for anyone, and this is one less stress!"
Matthew Markham
Residence Director
Advising:
"Advising was an area that I had a lot of room for growth. There are tons of opportunities to develop and hone advisory skills here with our Returner RA Committees and student leadership organizations like Community Council, Residence Hall Association, and National Residence Hall Honorary. Being an advisor can be challenging but I have developed in this area with the support of other professional staff here. In particular, I struggled to balance the proper level of support and direction while maintaining the advisory role so students could get the developmental experience but got great tips and guidance from more experience folks as I've found the advising style that works best for me and the students I work with."