WIU President of the Year - Illinois Residence Hall Association
Transcription
WIU President of the Year - Illinois Residence Hall Association
Western Illinois University Presents: Ryan Zurek President of The Year University of St. Francis IRHA 2016 ~1~ The Legacy of our Pirate Prez About ye Salty Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The CapTain’s QuarTers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Davy Jones’s LoCker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ascension of a Captain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ocean-time Merriment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A Call to Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8 #PiratePrez “Ryan is one of the most passionate and dedicated for when it not only involves InterHall Council (IHC) but in anything that he puts his mind to. Ryan is helping to expand InterHall Council with co-sponsoring, collaborating, and building bonds with other Organizations on Campus. As the year continues Ryan will not just grow but flourish and gain not only experience and leadership but also connections and relationships with those within IHC and the University.” —Kelly Rodgers, IHC Vice President ~2~ Who is this Pirate Prez? As a sophomore, Ryan has beyond exceeded the expectations of any ordinary college student. He has been successful in numerous facets of his university life. His actions pale in comparison to the average student. When the Professors talk about how critical and important it is to maintain a certain image not only in student life but professional life as well, Ryan rises to the challenge of being a leatherneck. “From the moment I met Ryan, I knew he was going to be a great leader and by working with him last year I’m glad he didn’t prove me wrong. He really shined as a leader and became someone I admired because of how he conducted himself in every meeting.” - D’Angelo Barrett, Resident Assistant ~3~ Academic & Awards As an engineering major, Ryan has an intense workload and continues to preserve his GPA within the Centennial Honors College requisites which has an established range of 3.5 and above. Ryan doesn't stop there though, he also offers help and assistance to many of his fellow classmates. His in return inspires them to do more as well. Ryan exemplifies time-management skills by balancing his academics and extra-curricular activities with ease. Ryan worked with Student Government Association (SGA) to organize a group of students to travel from Macomb to Springfield to advocate to state legislators on behalf of the student budget crisis. He was grouped with other students from his home district. They waited outside of the House of Senate to request an audience with their representatives to discuss the budget crisis. “Ryan is always willing to lend a hand to someone in need no matter the time commitment. Despite being involved in a lot on campus, Ryan remains dedicated to his classes and helps out his classmates in need whenever possible. Ryan is a committed president and, despite his busy schedule, he finds the time to make sure that everyone around his is happy.” - Angelica Strack, IHC Secretary ~4~ Volunteering Ryan constantly helps around campus. Some of the things that Ryan has helped with are helping in preparing programs with his fellow students and resident assistants. Specific programs he’s given his time to are Haunted Housing put on by resident assistants and students across campus. He also participates in an alternative spring break group called STLF (Students Today Leaders Forever). This consists of people who volunteer over their spring break by traveling to several states on a bus and provide service projects. Ryan now is a part of the bus core where he now plans where they go and the service projects they will do! Another instance of Ryan’s selflessness is when he participated in Dodgeball for Diabetes. Even after his team was eliminated from the tournament, he stayed and helped with whatever he could. “He’s always been phenomenal at motivating people and is flexible so that he can facilitate the execution of his events and duties effectively. Ryan has a wonderful voice of authority, but a passionate one that gets people motivated and excited. All the work he does is full of vigor and selflessness. Ryan exemplifies extraordinary leadership and inspires the best in people through his duties as the IHC President by creating a welcoming atmosphere by going up to individuals and getting to know them personally.” - Victoria Werner, NRHH Community Service Chair ~5~ Inter-Hall Council The moment Ryan was elected IHC President for the 2015-2016 school year, he hit the ground running. Club Wetzel is a dance program put on to welcome incoming freshman and all students to Western Illinois University. During this time IHC advocates themselves to put their name out there and get students involved in what goes on within the residence halls from day one. All throughout the summer, Ryan was in contact with his fellow executive board members to make sure that this event was an astounding success, and indeed it was since we have had an increased attendance at IHC general assembly meetings from all the residence halls since then. He has also had to order more chairs for the general assembly meetings because of the increased attendance. “Ryan has been a personal proponent of my involvement on campus. Because of him, I have become much more active in student life. I know I am not the only one Ryan has influenced to become active on campus, either. I have the leadership positions on campus today because of his role in my life here at WIU.” - Joseph Reinhart, IHC Treasurer ~6~ Extra-curricular One of the most influential things that has positively impacted his leadership skills was his adventure as a delegate to NACURH 2015. There he was able to learn and bring back irreplaceable experience that assimilated into his actions as a leader within the student body. Before the first week of classes and regular move-in, Western Illinois University puts on a program called Camp Leatherneck where freshman can build relationships and leadership skills that can be applied throughout their time here at WIU. Ryan was one of the camp leaders and continues to serve as their mentor. His leadership involvement within WIU doesn’t stop there though, he is also a member of NRHH (National Residence Hall Honorary) which is an honorary organization that is comprised of the top 1% here at WIU. In the coming years, we can expect nothing but the absolute best out of Ryan and look forward to it and all the greatness he will both accomplish and inspire from his actions. He attends the annual CUPP (Community-University Partnership Program) meetings where they discuss important topics about University and Macomb Community. He sits on the board “Ryan is a great President for Inter-Hall Council! His youthfulness and eagerness are a great benefit tot the organization. He always has many and new ideas to get the name of Inter-Hall Council out to the students and staff on the Western Illinois University campus.” - Sergio Flores, Resident Assistant Council– Campus Liaison October 12, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter on behalf of Ryan Zurek in support of his nomination for the President of the Year Award. I am pleased to have the opportunity to write this letter as a recommendation on his performance as a student leader who utilized many leadership opportunities and held a variety of roles last year within Inter-Hall Council at Western Illinois University. Ryan served in the role of a Bayliss-Henninger representative to Inter-Hall Council from September to December of last year (2014-2015). During this time Ryan served as the chair of the issues committee and worked hard to advocate for his fellow residents within IHC. As an advisor of the group during this time, Ryan set himself apart right away as a first year student that wanted to work hard on behalf of his peers. In January of 2015, Ryan became president of the Bayliss-Henninger complex and continued to serve in his committee chair role in addition to working with his hall. Ryan was a NACURH delegate and was instrumental in working with the delegate team to represent Western Illinois University to the best of his ability. Throughout all of these ventures, Ryan served the team with enthusiasm, integrity, and a can-do attitude that was infectious to his peers. In March of 2015 Ryan ran for IHC president for the 2015-2016 academic year and earned the position, mostly due to his peers recognizing his hard work and pivotal role in a variety of organization tasks. Although I did not directly advise Ryan beyond May of 2015, I know that he continues to serve the residential community with the same enthusiasm and maturity beyond his years. Ryan’s passion, commitment, and leadership are an asset to the people he interacts with. He is able to work with a variety of individuals and has contributed actively to the greater WIU community. Overall, I enthusiastically support Ryan Zurek for President of the Year. Please feel free to contact me regarding Ryan’s qualifications at (309) 298-3328 or via email at [email protected] Sincerely, Sarah Hart Assistant Director of Residence Life University Housing and Dining Services Western Illinois University