Juniper hall has a new resident director and role model.

Megan Bernard joined Juniper Hall staff as resident director in the middle of spring break 2013.

“I like it alot,” Bernard said. “The residents are super nice and the [resident assistants] are great. They’ve been really nice about the whole change and haven’t been giving me any grief at all.”

Bernard graduated from Central Oregon Community College in 2012 with an Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer degree in general science. While studying at COCC, Bernard worked as a resident assistant for Paul Amar, Juniper Hall’s former resident director, for three years and worked as the program coordinator for one year.

“I just had a great experience as a resident assistant,” Bernard explained. “Paul Amar was a big influence in my life when I was a RA, and I always thought I wanted to be in that role, and carry on what I learned.”

After graduating from COCC with an AAOT in general science, Bernard studied for two terms at Oregon Institute of Technology. While at OIT, Bernard served as vice president of Associated Students of Oregon Institute of Technology for one term. She attributes her time spent working as resident assistant at Juniper Hall for helping her get the position on student council.

Being RA helps you mature a little faster, Bernard explained.

“To be in a responsible role, where you’re in charge of people,” she said, “definitely helps in any situation where you have to be a role model.”
Being resident director had always been a goal for Bernard, so when the position opened up Paul Wheeler, COCC’s on campus housing coordinator, suggested that she apply.

“Paul Wheeler kind of joked about it saying, ‘oh, you should come back and be the RD,’ so we just got it set up and got started,” Bernard said.
Bernard is now studying biology at Oregon State University-Cascades and plans on going to dental school after graduating.

“I wanted to go for this position after I receive my bachelors, because usually they don’t hire unless you have it,” Bernard explained. “I’m a year away from getting my bachelors now, so I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it.”

After becoming resident director, Bernard’s greatest concern was that she didn’t have a dog like her predecessor, Paul Amar had.

“I was nervous at first because I don’t have a lab like Paul [Amar] did,” Bernard said. “I know that was a big part of it. So I’m baking cupcakes every other Wednesday, I hope that helps, with me not having a dog.”

One of Bernard’s first goals is to encourage Juniper Hall residents to take 12 credit and support them in getting good grades.

“We only have about two students who are taking less than 12 credits now,” she said. “[During] midterms, we try to help students keep up their grades.”

Bernard plans on applying for the resident director position again for the next academic year.

She believes the resident director position will help her continue to achieve her professional goals.

“The leadership qualities I will learn in this job will definitely help out in the future,” Bernard said.

–Molly Svendsen

The Broadside

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