1. What experiences have you had that prepare you for this position (e.g. perhaps as an employee, leader, or working with people different from you, etc.)? Working with different people is one of the things that excites me about being an RA. Since I have met different people with different cultures and beliefs and have worked together in the past, I am sure I know how to interact with them. These experiences have taught me how to flexibly interact with people who are different from me, how to resist pressure, and how to use differences as strength. Additionally, I have already held several leadership positions, so the benefits from those positions would be helpful in becoming an RA. A resident assistant should always be attentive and protective of his or her residents. He must guide them so that they can live in a happy but safe environment. This is what I did when I went to Japan. Since I was given the role of leader, I tried to live up to it. So I know the responsibilities of being a leader and how to make decisions for the good of the team. I think these past experiences would prepare me for this position.2. The RA position is primarily a role charged with improving a community among a diverse group of people. Explain how you define community and why you think you will be a successful community builder. Community is like a Venn diagram. It is about relationships between a finite group of people or things. People have their own circles, and sometimes these circles overlap. These intercepts are interests, common attitudes and goals that we share together. These intercepts unite us as a community, like a Venn diagram. A good community needs good communication where people talk and listen to each other openly and honestly. Do you need… half the paper… of your residents at your first community meeting? How will you achieve this? The initial community meeting has a big impact on the tone of the community. During the meeting, I would like to tell my residents our ultimate goal, to have a good community. Then I would explain what a good community is. A good community is one where we share resources and try to improve the environment. Characteristics of a good community should include clean and safe environments, equity and social justice, diversity, mutually supportive relationships, and enthusiastic participation of residents. I will achieve this by encouraging residents to take part in the process of setting expectations. In this way, they would become more invested in the expectations as they help create them or otherwise they might see these expectations as imposed from above..