By Ena Lee
This year the University of the South hired a new area coordinator, Bobby Silk, who coordinates Cannon, Cleveland, and Smith Halls. He provides extra support to proctors and assistant proctors, making sure each dorm is running smoothly, while working closely with Orientation and the Choices 101 program.
Silk came to Sewanee interested in working at a small and academically rigorous institution, hoping to help and enjoy the community Sewanee provides. “At larger schools, students can sometimes be seen more as numbers than as individuals,” he says. “Here, students are known by name and everyone is connected to one another. I really enjoy working directly with students, and Sewanee’s size means that it’s much harder for someone to get lost or fall through the cracks.” Silk says that working here will put into practice his belief that he acts as an ally to all students, regardless of context. He finds it fulfilling to help students discover the person and leader they want to be, and to assist in any way he can.
Previous to Sewanee, he worked in the First Year Experience at Ohio State University, where he also completed his master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs. He organized the University’s new summer orientation programs and coordinated leadership activities for transfer students. He also taught intergroup dialogue courses about gender and sexual identity at Ohio State’s Multicultural Center. As an undergraduate at Washington University, he was an RA and worked as an orientation leader.
Now at Sewanee, Silk is having a great time. “The community at Sewanee, among both undergraduate students and faculty/professional staff is a very strong one, and everyone has been extremely open and welcoming,” he says. “There is always something happening on campus, which is great. I can definitely say that, so far, Yea, Sewanee’s right!”