PAOLA K.

PALOMINO
pkpalomi@asu.edu | (623) 522-2899

March 31, 2019

Education Outreach & Student Services

Hassayampa Academic Village
Tempe AZ, 85281

Dear Residential Life Community Assistants,

My name is Paola Palomino and I am contacting you on behalf of the Community Assistant
Opportunity for the 2019-'20 school year. As you have requested, down below are my responses
to all your questions and a bit of my own information.

How does the Community Assistant position affect the on-campus experience?
Having a Community Assistant allows a sense of dependability and organization for the
on-campus experience. When faced with any questions, comments, or concerns, the CAs are
there for me. When confronted with a situation, Community Assistants are the first responders
who act in a mature, sound, and stable manner enhancing the overall life and aura of the students.
Community Assistants, are more than just assistants, they are mentors, role models, friends, and
can simply be a familiar, friendly face in the hall. Having a connection like a Community
Assistant makes the First Year Experience feel welcoming, refreshing, and safe. With the
smallest things like answering questions to having breakfast together can make a world of a
difference. Making differences like these and more is what I intend to do.

What are the benefits and challenges of living on-campus? How would you help students
navigate that experience?
As a Freshman living in Adelphi Commons II, one of the greatest benefits is the sense of
community, spirit, and support on-campus living provides. Here, there are programs, games, and
other traditions that provide the opportunity to get out, destress, make friends, and widen
connections. As a CA, I will be sure to show incoming freshman and current students the
benefits and opportunities being apart of the ASU community can provide. Encouraging all to
broaden their interaction will eventually increase positive mental states, comfort, knowledge of
their surroundings, and a great sense of inclusion.

Living in a new place, having new responsibilities, doing new things, all on top of the
emotions one faces in their lives is a lot to juggle. For the past 5 years, I have been dealing with
depression and anxiety. In my first few weeks here at ASU, I was diagnosed Post Traumatic
Stress Disorders and my mental state worsened. Beginning a new chapter in one’s life is already
a significant challenge, living through the effects of PTSD put a whole other strain to my mental
state. Despite the negative effects, these experiences have made me stronger by requiring me to
go out and make connections around ASU. Knowledge of all the sources for help grew, as they
did, so did my mental state. I am not the first with these challenges and sadly, I can not change
the fact that I will not be the last. What I can do is educate, inspire, and help people of all
backgrounds. Learning about myself, my surroundings, and community will forever continue to
grow. As a Community Assistant, my teaching and learning will greatly better the Sun Devil
experience for both Arizona State Staff and Students.

How have you participated in the Sun Devil experience? How has that made a positive
impact on you?
In my personal experience, being a Sun Devil has proved to be impressively rewarding.
My inspiration to become a greater part of ASU began the week of move-in day. Spending the
first days attending events hosted by my Community Assistant Lexy, the ChangeMakers,
Residence Hall Association and ASU Sports sparked my love for the community and everything
a community offers. Each of these events and more made me feel welcome, supported, helpful,
informed, energized, and motivated. Sometimes we are need of a revitalizer, a friend, or a
getaway from the stresses every aspect of life offers. Attending events like these remind me why
I chose ASU in the first place. As a CA, not only will my full engagement continue but
engagement over a larger audience will increase as I continue to encourage those around me to
find their bliss within Arizona State University, just as I have.

Thank you for taking your time and energy to get to know me and my intentions for our
blossoming community. If there is any further information I can provide you with, feel free to
contact me at my cell phone number: (623) 522-2899 or via email: pkpalomi@asu.edu. I would
be thrilled to dive deeper into the tight-knit community you have established here at ASU.

P.S. If you would give me the chance, I would love to further touch upon the subject of
interaction by going through possible events to put on and how to increase a sense of
community. Just as I did all throughout high school. Thank you again, I look forward to speaking
to you soon.

Kind Regards,

Paola Palomino