Erin DeGregorio ’16
Siena’s tradition for holding open doors is just one of the things that make the community special. This fun fact is now known all across the nation thanks to Michael O’Connell ’16 and his video “Catholic Education Through the Eyes of a Resident Assistant.”
O’Connell, who is serving his third year as a resident assistant in the Office of Community Living, was recently selected as one of four national winners of a video contest sponsored by the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU) and St. Norbert College. The theme of the contest “Catholic higher education through the eyes of our students,” asked for students at Catholic colleges and universities to submit a two to three minute video of their views on what makes Catholic higher education a unique experience. O’Connell’s video was one of six submitted from Siena, and was ultimately chosen for one of the four national prizes.
“Mike’s video was impressive on so many levels, but it was touching too, how much his experience as an RA and student here have been impacted by the Franciscan and Catholic mission of Siena,” said Maryellen Gilroy, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Life and former Chair of the Board of the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities.
Here at Siena, the essence of Franciscan and Catholic tradition is a way of relating to people that is grounded in faith and values. Diversity, optimism, respect and service (DORS) provide a framework of values for the Siena College community to discuss and learn about the Franciscan tradition and its approach to fostering positive interpersonal relationships. As a Catholic college, Siena seeks to advance not only the intellectual growth of its students, but their spiritual, religious and ethical formation as well.
O’Connell’s three minute video emphasized Siena’s uniqueness as a Franciscan institution and what makes the College so special to him, through personal testimony and pictures taken throughout his time as a Saint. He demonstrated how students of all class years connect Siena’s Franciscan and Catholic mission with the values the College holds, such as the DORS initiative.
“All of the Community Living professional staff are proud of Mike for so eloquently summarizing what we strive to ensure RAs are able to experience in their work with residents,” said Adam Casler, Director of Community Living. “The video contest was a very unique and fun opportunity for our students to share what they feel is unique about Catholic higher education. Normally, it is our role as faculty and staff at Siena to share what makes Siena unique as a Catholic and Franciscan institution, so allowing our students to creatively express themselves has been a great opportunity to show that our students are understanding and living our mission and values in their academic work, on-campus jobs, internships, and as they prepare to head into the world as alumni.”
“Being a Siena Student and an RA has really given me a great perspective on life. Siena built this tight-knit community that I have been lucky enough to be a part of. Furthermore, being an RA has been one of the most rewarding experiences,” commented O’Connell. “Just being able to help other students has been a great opportunity and I have met so many great people. If it boils down to one thing, I would say Siena and my role as an RA has really just given me the confidence to face any obstacle head on.”
