Riley Feiner
The Ohio State 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.

The most significant impact of collegiate recreation in higher education is establishing a place where the campus community feels safe to participate in activities that positively contribute to their health and wellbeing. As collegiate recreation student staff and professionals, we have the power to reach students and community members in ways they otherwise would have never experienced. In creating a solid foundation with a clear mission and vision, our students know they can expect support from us in more ways than one. One of these ways is through student development. The employment opportunity provided by collegiate recreation departments allows students to experience unique professional development opportunities. During my time as a student employee for Recreation & Wellbeing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was exposed to valuable development experiences and passionate professional staff who supported me. As a result of mentorship and guidance of professional staff I have met along my career journey, I have accomplished what I have today. Their only request in return was for me to pay it forward to other students. Within my most recent role as Member Services Graduate Assistant at Recreational Sports for The Ohio State University, I have begun to dig deep into their request, making it my duty to support students in their development as professionals, employees, and people. Outside of student development, one way collegiate recreation reaches students and campus community members is by providing a safe space to participate in activities, sports, and events. Lastly, we are able to make a significant impact in our campus community by providing a welcoming environment for members to try new things, continue routines, and foster a positive relationship with their own health and wellbeing. This means the most significant impact of collegiate recreation is fostering an environment that is open-minded, supportive, and knowledgeable about health and wellbeing.

Collegiate recreation has influenced my development as a professional and my development as a person. It blends all the things that fulfill me: health and wellbeing, interpersonal communication, and genuine connection. Professionally, collegiate recreation has given me countless opportunities to grow my transferable skills through student employment, internships, and a graduate assistantship. From conferences to hiring committees, collegiate recreation has provided me with a plethora of skills I can use in my future career as a campus recreation professional. Because of my involvement, I have experience in teaching CPR classes, executing and coordinating special events, managing recreation facility operations, and maintaining member relations. Outside of employment, collegiate recreation has helped me grow in multiple aspects as a person. I have been able to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with my physical health through utilizing recreation facilities to exercise in ways that I enjoy. Lastly, collegiate recreation has allowed me to create lifelong friendships with folks who share similar passions as I do through intramural games, group fitness classes, and special events. All of these reasons are why I believe collegiate recreation has played a major role in developing me into the person I am today.

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?

Within the NIRSA Strategic Plan I believe one area that is a major issue students face today is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). EDI is one thing I believe that can never stop improving. Although we have come a long way in terms of EDI in recreation facilities, there is still plenty of work to do. As someone who identifies as a cisgender woman who utilizes recreation facilities often, I am reminded of gender stereotypes every time I choose to exercise. While at UW-Madison as a senior in 2023, I was specifically reminded of this during one of my Gender and Women’s studies courses. We were discussing the gender binary and how it creates unfair expectations and stereotypes for all women, and one place we all agreed these exist is in the gym. During this class, my peers expressed their disappointment with experiencing these negative and harmful expectations within our recreation facilities on campus. I was a student facility manager at that time, and I immediately walked to our recreation center to speak with professional staff for guidance. With their help, I decided I would conduct a survey of my class to hear about what kind of experiences they have had in our facilities and what changes they would like to see made. Through validating and advocating for their concerns, our program looked at usage data and eventually created a better layout for specific areas of our facility to improve inclusivity and belongingness.

As someone who has a certificate in Gender and Women’s studies, EDI is very important to me. During my professional internship at UW-Madison, I was part of the Social Justice Committee, where we dismantled societal norms and looked for ways we could continue to celebrate diversity and people of all identities within the programming we provide. I would bring this same attitude to address these issues on a larger scale within our nation. The first step in doing so is to create genuine connections with our students in the Association. In doing so, I will be able to establish rapport and a feeling of mutual trust and respect in terms of advocating for EDI. Second, I will listen to the concerns students have surrounding EDI within collegiate recreation and higher education. Through active listening and the intention of taking action, I will bring these concerns to the Foundation and advocate for solutions. Through my experience discussed previously, it is clear that I have the skills and courage necessary to identify problematic issues and bring them to leadership for discussion and action.

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 began to contribute to NIRSA as a senior in undergrad when I attended my first state workshop in the fall of 2022. It was here that I fell in love with what collegiate recreation stood for. I began to seriously invest myself in campus recreation, becoming a member of NIRSA in the spring of 2023. I attended the 2023 NIRSA Region III Student Lead On, NIRSA Annual in Pittsburgh, and secured internships at the University of California-Los Angeles Recreation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Recreation & Wellbeing. These four elements of my career journey heavily influenced my growth as a young professional, and is largely due to the professional staff who helped me along the way. They had one request in return: pay it forward. I began to take this to heart in the fall of 2023, starting small with volunteering during the Wisconsin state workshop. I then became involved in the NIRSA National Basketball Championship Series, serving on the Sponsorship sub-committee of the host site planning committee at UW-Madison. I utilized my skills in graphic design to create a four-page sponsorship packet outlining event information, sponsorship tiers, and respective benefits which helped secure over $2,000 worth of donations. I also coordinated volunteer and officials check-in during the tournament. At NIRSA Annual in Phoenix last year, I volunteered to work at the NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament, capturing valuable marketing content to recruit future participants. It was during this time I began my journey as Region III Student Leader (R3SL). A key component to this role is recruitment and retention. During my tenure as R3SL, I have contributed to this aspect of the Member Network’s mission in multiple ways. I have created and shared marketing materials to the Region III social media accounts, established a student section in our monthly newsletter, attended and presented at two state workshops and 2025 Region III Student Lead On (SLO), and served as the Marketing Chair of the SLO Planning Committee. To play off of the SLT’s theme of “We are future”, we created our SLO theme, “Stronger community, stronger future”. I designed the conference logo to tie in this theme and worked with my committee members to create engaging content for the Region III community. As a result of our efforts, we were able to secure over 150 conference registrations to continue building a strong collegiate recreation community and continue the work of securing a stronger future.

My wide range of involvement qualifies me to serve the students of the Association, as I have a diverse perspective of collegiate recreation and the goals of NIRSA. My experiences in collegiate recreation have been fueled by my desire to bring positive change to recreation programs in our region, as well as within the Association. As the NIRSA Student Leader, I will put great effort into establishing professional connections with students of the Association, ensuring them that as their national representative, the vision and desires for shaping their programs will be heard.

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?

Throughout my involvement in campus recreation, I have worn many hats. Within the last three and a half years, I have gained experience in facility operations, community programs, custodial services, special event coordination, marketing, member services and student development. With these experiences comes an ability to authentically relate to Student Members and the unique experiences they have while working in campus recreation. Through my involvement in multiple departments, I have also gained valuable perspectives. As such, I am able to look at campus recreation problems with a holistic approach, identifying the strengths and shortcomings proposed ideas could have for students in select departments. I will devote great effort to establish meaningful connections with our Student Members, fostering their growth as leaders, while maintaining a focus on ensuring they have premier access to the leaders and advocates for the advancement of recreation, sport and wellness.

With my experience in designing marketing materials, I have an exceptional ability to create recruitment materials including flyers and information packets. During my tenure as the Region III Student Leader, I created a variety of marketing materials to be used for recruitment of members to the Association, engagement of current members, and promotion of the 2025 Student Lead On Conference. For recruitment specifically, I designed a logo for the 2024-2025 Student Leadership Team’s recruitment initiative, “We are the future”. This design was created to establish a sense of community within our Association and to convey the importance for young people to get involved in NIRSA. For the engagement of current members, I have created multiple social media posts to recognize our students within the region, recognizing the importance of the work they do for our network. Lastly, as part of the 2025 Region III Student Lead On Conference (SLO) planning committee, I served as the Marketing Committee Chair. This involved the oversight of three talented students who were heavily involved in the recruitment of attendees to the conference. As part of my role, I also designed the conference logo and conference name badges while utilizing my skill set in graphic design and marketing material curation.

Aside from experience, the skill and talent that is most important in recruitment and retention is clear, genuine communication. It has been through my talented and skillful interpersonal communication with others that I have been able to gain experience in so many departments of collegiate recreation, attain well-known internships, and obtain a prominent graduate assistantship at The Ohio State University. Honesty, empathy, and respect are the key components I think of when communicating with others, regardless of the situation. In the context of recruitment, these components allow prospective Student Members to feel confident in understanding what the Association provides and its ability to help them grow in their career.

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

My leadership style is based heavily in relationship building and interpersonal communication, as my top five Clifton Strengths include empathy, restorative, relator, adaptability, and discipline. I put great effort into establishing genuine connections with the people I lead through a person-centric approach based in gratitude, empathy, and respect. In my current role as Member Services Graduate Assistant for Recreational Sports at The Ohio State University, I lead with empathy, gratitude, and respect. In leading with empathy, I convey to my student staff I greatly care for their wellbeing and will do whatever I can to support them in their roles both inside and outside of the Rec. Gratitude is another important aspect to my leadership style. In the weekly email I send to all my student staff to share important updates and information, I always begin with gratitude, recognizing that week’s Employee of the Week. In showing gratitude, I am able to create mutual respect that promotes a positive work environment where students feel confident to ask questions and make mistakes. Lastly, I lead with respect. This component manifests in two ways: direct and indirect respect. Direct respect appears as treating my staff as I want to be treated; speaking to them with kindness and providing assistance or support when needed. Indirect respect appears more so as accountability. In holding my student staff to standards I know they are capable of achieving, I demonstrate how with the respect I have for them, I believe they can grow and reach their potential.

My leadership style has many benefits for both me and the Student Leadership Team (SLT). I find it greatly fulfilling to lead students in becoming fantastic representatives and leaders in collegiate recreation. As a result, the SLT will work with a passionate individual who will work hard to achieve the goals of the Association. Leading with gratitude will benefit both me and the Team, as I will recognize the little and big victories of team members and acknowledge the effort and work that has been put in to foster an environment of belonging for all staff, members, and stakeholders. Through my dedication in providing communication that is honest, empathetic, and respectful, I and the Team will be able to efficiently work together in providing education and developmental opportunities, generate and share knowledge, and promote networking and growth for our Student Members.

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.).

In the past year, I have undergone a large transition; moving to a new state to start my Master’s program, starting a new job, and serving as the Region III Student Leader. All of these obligations have presented their own unique challenges in terms of a healthy life-work balance. It has been an insightful experience to learn how to balance these responsibilities. As someone who always gives maximum effort to her work, it was difficult to realize that sometimes, there were simply not enough hours in a day to finish the tasks on my to-do list. It is in these moments that I have had to remember to prioritize my own wellbeing, as one cannot pour from an empty cup. In these situations, I create a plan for the following day to complete my remaining tasks in order of importance. In my current role as Member Services Graduate Assistant at The Ohio State University, I have learned that communication truly is key to maintaining a healthy balance between my roles. One of these forms of communication occurs when others request for me to complete a task or project. Normally, I accept these tasks or complete the projects being asked of me. However, I have come to recognize when it is time for me to say, “no” to tasks that I do not have the capacity to complete to the best of my ability. In some cases, saying “no” results directly from having academic obligations. I tell my staff that their first job is to be a student and working at the rec center comes second. I follow this rule myself, and communicate to my work supervisors and the Region III Representative when I need to take time to prioritize my academics. In order to leave a lasting impact on the field of collegiate recreation, I must first prioritize my health and wellbeing.

As a first generation college student, I understand the importance of doing well academically, as it is a privilege to obtain higher education as well as an honor to be the first in my family to do so. I employ a variety of strategies that are rooted in physical and mental wellbeing to ensure a healthy blend between my academic and work spheres in my life. One of these strategies includes practicing yoga classes at home to ground myself in the present moment and bring awareness to how my body is feeling. Typically, I practice yoga when I am experiencing an increased workload or stress. To celebrate my body and her abilities, I regularly find time to workout after work. Working out challenges me in the moment, makes me feel accomplished, and provides me with motivation. Outside of physical exercise, I practice journaling to reflect on my mental wellbeing. From practicing gratitude to writing out my thoughts, I find that journaling helps me navigate life during any time. While utilizing these strategies, I am confident I can maintain a healthy blend between work, school, and NIRSA.