Where Are They Now?
Where are they now?
Hear from past Hall Directors about their experience and how it prepared them for their current role.
Jenna Gibilisco Anderson
2022-2023
Current Position
Hall Director
University of Connecticut
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
It is so hard to pick just one memory from my short time at TCU, as I look back on that time so fondly. What I miss most about TCU’s HRL is the closeness and camaraderie of the department. I knew anytime I walked into our central office, I would be greeted so warmly and could strike up a chat with anyone! I always loved our all staff department meetings and seeing all the HDs and supervisors all together. Seldom was there a meeting where we were not bursting out in laughter. The TCU HRL department really does feel like family.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
TCU gave me a lot of autonomy to run my area how I saw fit and let me make decisions as the “expert” of Richards and Arnold. In my current role, I was chosen as one of two Hall Directors who opened a brand-new building in the Fall of 2024. This meant that myself and my co-HD had to create everything from the ground up for this new building. My experience at TCU helped give me the confidence in my decision-making skills to create effective and efficient processes.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Familial
Andrew Arvay
2013-2018
Current Position
Director of the Office of Care and Civility
UNT Health Science Center
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
I remember my first HD Retreat as being such a milestone for me personally; it was the time I felt affirmed in my decision to join the HRL family. I was able to have authentic conversations and start quickly building supportive relationships with other HDs to make me feel like I belonged at TCU.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
Working with a diverse group of students in terms of needs and abilities provided me with a great deal of experience for my current role, where I work with students navigating health issues and personal emergencies regularly. Beyond getting the experience I needed for my current role, I was also able to build partnerships across campus that bolstered my candidacy and effectiveness in my current role and develop close relationships to support me personally.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Opportunity
Cedric Garron
2016-2020
Current Position
Talent Acquisition Partner
Caterpillar, Inc.
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
Dressing up as Ceddy Claus for multiple HRL Holiday engagements and getting to do what I do best, spreading joy!
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
My HD role allowed me to be a bit of a generalist and do many things at one time. The pieces I took into my new role were program development, budget management, and supervision skills. HRL also took time to develop us professionally in-house, so I never felt pressure to look elsewhere for development.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Intentional
Shelby Giammattei
2023-2025
Current Position
Career Consultant, Bob Schieffer College of Communication
Texas Christian University
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
Colby Galentines! During Galentines each year, I set up a permanent jewelry shop (with no prior experience…– sorry, Risk Management!) for Colby Cuties to create a lasting memento to capture their first-year at TCU! With a YouTube tutorial and a big prayer, doing permanent jewelry was a big hit each year, and a fun way to connect with the first-year female population as they prepared for their second year at TCU.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
My time as an HD taught me how to drink from a fire hose while remaining a resilient and grounded leader for my student staff. Though the role came with plenty of “other duties as assigned,” it pushed me to model professionalism and help students recognize how their experiences translated into transferable skills. That’s something I now get to do even more intentionally as a Career Consultant, helping students see the value of their extracurricular work and soft skill development.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Fortifying
Reece Harty, Ph.D.
2019–2023
Current Position
Director of University Events
Texas Christian University
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
What makes TCU special is that it isn’t a “one special event or instance.” I think there are more of the little moments that make it all special. It’s the creativity with COVID programming, it’s the laughs with colleagues during a stressful situation, or bringing peace or a solution to a resident who was having a hard time. It’s collaborating with colleagues and having a neon-lights mini-golf program, a dunk tank for residents to get to know each other, or finding a mechanical shark for residents to celebrate being a part of the community. And let’s not forget the power of Pancake Palooza. TCU isn’t about being one thing… It’s about being a myriad of things that help create experiences that last a lifetime.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
TCU Housing and Residence Life offers its Hall Directors opportunities to grow and connect with larger functional areas to help sample different areas to hone and gain new experiences.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Expansive
Jayla Hill
2021-2024
Current Position
Assistant Director of Student Identity and Engagement
Texas Christian University
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
My first winter here at TCU. The winter of 2022 was intense, but hilarious, as we had a significant freeze that shut down the university for a few days. As a native Chicagoan, it was funny to see everything shut down over 2 inches of snow and 20-degree weather. But watching my students react (especially those who’d never seen snow before) was a memory that lasts a lifetime!
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
HRL is a space that offers a range of experiences. From engaging in student development regularly, to chairing committees, to hosting meaningful programs, to connecting intentionally with campus partners. HRL offers a diverse experience that lends itself to skills that are applicable to any job an individual would want to take on next.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Fruitful!
Tim Jordan
2015-2019
Current Position
Assistant Dean for Residential Life
Wheaton College
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
My favorite moment at TCU was helping lead RA Training. The energy and enthusiasm of our students and staff are second to none, and I loved watching them bond over the course of a couple of weeks in August. Training also was the source of my favorite individual night at TCU, the night we debuted EmpowerTCU. EmpowerTCU gave our staff the stage to share their life lessons with one another. Getting to hear those stories was something I will never forget.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
TCU HRL prepares its staff for the next level by allowing them a wide variety of opportunities both within their communities and on the departmental level. I served on and chaired multiple departmental and interdepartmental committees, traveled for professional development opportunities, and even went through a leadership academy specifically designed to prepare me for the next step. It’s a “yes” institution that will prioritize your personal and professional development.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Relationships
Bianca A Newton
2012-2016
Current Position
Community School Director
Baltimore City School
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
My most memorable TCU moment happened in 2017. I was eating dinner in the Market Square, and they were announcing the college football ranking results for the week. TCU was announced in the Top 10, and the entire cafeteria ERUPTED! It was so cool to see how excited the students were, and my dinner was immediately followed by the Tree Lighting, where Johnny Swim acknowledged that TCU had just ranked in the Top 10.
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
TCU HRL prepared me to multitask and be calm in a storm. During my roles as an HD, I was constantly managing several tasks at once planning events and organizing logistics and people. I use those skills weekly in my role as a Community School Director, and I am often the person coaching other professionals on how to remain focused on the task and not let small inconveniences derail our ultimate goals.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Mind-expanding
Rachel Olson
2022-2024
Current Position
Manager, Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center
Texas Christian University
What is your most memorable moment at TCU?
I had the honor to serve as the co-lead for the Student Staff Training Committee for two academic years. In my last year as the co-lead, I was able to design and implement a “Clue” game theme through training and tie it to different activities and sessions to create an immersive activity throughout training. It took a lot of planning, creativity, and coordination with all Housing staff, but it was so fun and turned out very successfully (at least in my opinion)!
Second to that was having served on call for all 3 Halloweekends while I was a Hall Director. Boy, do I have some stories from those shifts on-call!
How did TCU Housing and Residence Life prepare you for your current role?
Working as a Hall Director is such a multi-faceted role! You gain so much experience in very different tasks and responsibilities, including crisis response, student supervision, budget management, program development, navigating hard conversations, time management, multitasking, receiving feedback, hiring and recruitment, and so many other areas. My current role manages many of those same responsibilities, just in a different scope, and having the opportunity to grow in those areas and have valuable experience and guidance from supervisors when I worked in housing has directly contributed to being able to excel in my current position.
If you could describe your TCU experience in one word, what would that word be?
Unforgettable!