Jaclyn Kiko
West Virginia University

Please provide a statement of your personal views on the role and contributions of collegiate recreation in higher education. In your response, describe how collegiate recreation has influenced your development.

Collegiate recreation has many impacts on Higher Education including its impacts on students mental and physical health, campus connections, as well as student and professional development.

Collegiate recreation allows for students to have a place to work out and get away from classes. They can work out on their own, or workout and compete with others through events and programs. This allows for students to get away from the stress of everyday classes and connect with others. The opportunity of programs allows for students to be able to connect with others who they may not normally interact with just going to class. It allows them to make lasting connections with individuals who share similar interests in sports or programming as them.

The best part of collegiate recreation comes into play on the employment and development side of collegiate recreation. I myself am lucky enough to be a product of becoming involved in collegiate recreation in college. I started with swim lessons my freshman year and came back to the aquatic team after covid. It was my junior year that I started to understand the scope of collegiate recreation and the impact that it can have on a student’s development. Everyone who works in collegiate recreation is there to work with and develop students and I believe that this makes it the best place to work on campus.

When I started working for Campus Recreation, I would have never thought it would turn into a career path for me. However, as my college career progressed, I realized how much I loved the aquatic environment as well as the opportunity to invest in students. The people that I worked with at the Student Recreation Center became my family and the facility truly became my home away from home.

My favorite part about my job is working with students and watching them progress through their college career. I love getting to watch them develop and achieve their goals both in and out of the Student Recreation Center. Being at the same facility that I did my undergraduate degree gives me a unique experience. The group of students that were my first hires as a program assistant are still working on our staff and will graduate the same time that I graduate from my graduate degree. It has been incredible to see them grow from their freshman year to now their junior year and I look forward to watching them graduate next year. It is my goal to continue in a career with collegiate recreation so that I am able to continue to make impacts on the development of college students through recreation.

Within the context of the NIRSA Strategic Plan, what area/item would you say is a major issue students face today? How would you address this issue during your term?

While considering the NIRSA Strategic Plan, it is important to keep in mind students and current issues they are facing. The two biggest issues I see in the student environment fall under Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Health and Wellbeing. It is important to look at the overall student experience and to do this, you must consider inclusivity and overall wellness.

Mental health is a huge topic in today’s society and something that students definitely struggle with. College is a time that comes with many changes and challenges, which can make it very difficult for some students. Focusing on overall wellness can help a student stay healthy both physically and mentally. Collegiate recreation allows for students to get away from class and take a break from the stresses of everyday life through exercise and programming. It is important that recreation programs on all campuses prioritize the health of their students and allow for a safe and welcoming place for students to enjoy exercising and connecting while they are away from home. It would be my goal to work with other NIRSA members to come up with ideas on how to prioritize student wellness during the entire semester. Most schools will have mental health weeks or events during finals, but students have stress at all points in the semester and it would be great if we could encourage programming for mental and physical wellness all semester long.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is something that I am very passionate about. I am the President of the Accessibility Student Advisory Group on WVU’s campus and work to ensure that students with disabilities are able to participate in all aspects of campus. Something that I would love to work on is getting better accessibility for recreation for students with disabilities. Some spaces are not always welcoming to students who have physical disabilities or sensory disorders which can make it very difficult for them to participate in physical activities on campus. I would love to see NIRSA and Collegiate Recreation take further steps in assuring that these students can come into the facility at any time to enjoy recreation and not just have to wait until there is inclusive programming for them to participate in. I would like to see programs use input from students with disabilities and improve their facilities and programming so they can be more inclusive. I would encourage them to do a survey of students, potentially working with their accessibility offices in order to make sure that their facilities are accommodating to those with disabilities.

Overall, the most important thing when it comes to programming for the wellness of all students is being able to relate it to the student body. It is important for programs to take into account the students they are serving and how they feel about the programming. I would like to encourage this if I became the Region 2 Student leader in 2024.

Describe your contributions to NIRSA (i.e. presentations, volunteering, previous leadership roles, etc.) and identify how your involvement and experiences qualify you to advocate for and serve the students of the Association.

I have been a member of NIRSA since the Fall of 2021. I have had the pleasure to attend multiple conferences including Virtual Annual conference 2021, ERSL 2022, Region 2 2022, Annual Conference 2023 and Region 2 2023. The conference experience has truly changed my career path and relationship with collegiate recreation. I was introduced to the family environment and immense impact of NIRSA while at ERSL in Delaware in 2022. I quickly felt at home within NIRSA and have worked on building relationships within the association ever since.

My volunteer experience began at the region 2 conference in 2022 in Winston-Salem, NC. At this conference, I was a session monitor for Jody Davis from Coastal Carolina which started another great connection for me within the association. Additionally, I was able to attend Student Lead-On and watch one of the Graduate Assistants from WVU help run the pre-conference event led by Alexis Shura. This was a very impactful experience for me and made me realize that I definitely wanted to get more involved in NIRSA, but also felt that I had the drive and passion to become a region student leader.

My experience at the Annual conference continued to strengthen my involvement. I was fortunate enough to get to help with the NIRSA tours that were hosted at WVU and answer questions about the facility that I was able to call home throughout my undergraduate experience. Once at the conference, I was able to volunteer at the host committee table and at the Foundations table. Both experiences introduced me to more people within NIRSA and helped me continue to grow connections.

The Region 2 Conference 2023 was my opportunity to put my connections and passions to work. As I became a member of the Student Lead On Committee led by this year’s Region 2 Student Leader, Christian Ramirez. I was able to help organize icebreaker activities Student Lead On and organize activities for the student lounge during the conference including mock interviews, headshots and talk to a GA session. The work and experience that I gained through my work for the Atlanta Conference truly solidified my want and passion to be a Region 2 Student Leader and is a huge region as to why I feel like I would be an asset to the NIRSA Member Network Committee.

The Student Leadership Team focuses on student development and Student Member recruitment and retention. What skills, talents, and perspectives would you bring to the Student Leadership Team that would contribute to this focus?

One of my biggest passions and drives to work in Collegiate Recreation is student development. My favorite thing about going into work is interacting with the undergrad students that I supervise and seeing how they grow over the time that they spend within our department.

My bubbly and outgoing personality is a great contribution to my networking abilities, and I believe it could be a great asset if I were to become the next Region 2 Student Leader. I love getting to meet new people and learn about their stories. I believe that this makes me very approachable especially to students who may be new to the association. I remember being nervous about introducing myself at my first conference and I always make it a goal to try and help other students make connections by initiating conversations.

Additionally, I am very driven especially when it comes to things that I am passionate about. I believe this makes me a great candidate as I am willing to put the time and energy into a new idea to make it successful. I am also very good at delegating when needed and keeping a team working together. This is something that I work on daily with my Program Assistants. I have 6 Program Assistants that I work directly with and lead to keep our Aquatic environment safe and functional. This has given me the experience to manage a team that is working towards a common goal as well as being sure that I do not micromanage and give each individual a chance to bring their own skill set to the team.

I believe one of the most important things for student recruitment is being friendly and answering the questions that potential members may have. I had a million questions when I joined NIRSA and if graduate students hadn’t been willing to take the time to answer my questions, I probably wouldn’t be in the position that I am today. It is my goal to be that person for the next set of students and I am mindful to take the time to invest in undergraduate students whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I believe the most important part of retention is connections. People are more willing to come back if they have connections made in the association. For me personally, one of the reasons that I love NIRSA is because of the connections I have been able to make. I think it is super important to encourage people to connect when at a conference and help keep those connections once everyone goes home.

Describe your leadership style. How will it benefit you and the rest of the Student Leadership Team?

My leadership style is something that I have really tried to work on throughout my first semester as a graduate assistant. It is very important to me that my staff feels listened to and comfortable to come to me when needed. In my experience, if they have a mutual respect, they are more willing to work with you rather than against you. I do my best to give each of my students the ability to lead and develop, this is done on different levels depending on what position they hold.

Program Assistants work with me directly on training, hiring and other duties to keep our environment safe and working. I get to work with each of them individually and all together for different tasks. I make it my goal to play to each of their strengths and to assign tasks based on those strengths. Generally, when I assign a task to a program assistant, I give them a week or two to work on it and then we meet back to check in on their progress. During this time, I also make sure that they know my door is always open to them for any questions or issues they may have with the tasks. This allows for me to trust that the task is getting done, without micromanaging every step and decision that they make. I believe that this creates a more positive environment that they want to work in. Also, I am always sure to be open with the program assistants about the decisions that are made. I think it is important for them to understand the rationale behind a decision so they can make decisions on their own without having to ask me about every small detail.

When working with the Head Lifeguards on our staff, I meet with the team of them each month to check in and train them. This allows them to bring any issues to my attention that I may not see during my office hours. It also allows for us to work together and improve our facility through various training so they can then train the other lifeguards who are not Head Lifeguards.

The lifeguard staff is something that I make a conscious effort to check in with each of them throughout the semester. This allows me to get a good sense of where each student is and if they need anything that I can help them with.

All of my leadership experience and skills will be a great asset to the Student Leadership Team as I have experience leading teams in my everyday work. This will allow me to be able to delegate tasks, ensure they are completed without micromanaging and encourage a well-rounded team environment.

As a member of the Student Leadership Team, you have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the field of collegiate recreation. However, we acknowledge and respect that you are a student first. Explain your strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between your various roles (student, volunteer, athlete, employee, etc.).

I am someone who loves to be busy and be challenged, that being said, I also recognize that it is important to know your limits and not stretch yourself too thin. As a student, I know that my school work is important and prioritize it by making a list of all of my semester assignments for all of my classes at the beginning of the semester. This allows me to know the exact due dates in order and be able to look ahead if I have an event at work or with NIRSA that I need to adjust for. I do similar lists at work where I write out all of the tasks I need to complete in order and am always sure to adjust my schedule to be sure they are completed on time. Additionally, I know that it is important for me to not be burnt out so I can perform at my best in every role. I do my best to mark time off on my calendar each week for me to get organized and reset if needed. This can be a great time for me to clean, catch up on homework, or just grab lunch with a friend so that I can put my best foot forward.

Volunteering is something that I am passionate about, I volunteer at a local non-profit recreation center and it is one of the things that lets me reset when stresses get high through the semester. I do my best to consciously schedule volunteering in advance for the semester so I can look forward to it and also schedule it for a time where I don’t have a large amount of other commitments.

It is really important to me that I am able to travel home and spend time with family throughout the semester. Before each semester, I look at the calendar and schedule specific weekends to travel home. This helps me stay grounded as the semester hits busy points and gives me a great excuse to get away from the stresses of the semester for a few days.

I believe that I have the capacity to take on the workload that would come with being a Student Leader within NIRSA. I think my passion as well as personal accountability would make it possible for me to put my best foot forward in the position so I can make positive contributions to NIRSA.