Phoebe Kurniawan
Rowan 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.

I have firsthand seen the impact collegiate recreation has had on my development, as well as others’ development. Engaging in collegiate recreation, either as a participant or employee, allows students to significantly enhance many aspects of holistic well-being, encompassing various dimensions such as physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual aspects. The deep sense of community belonging derived from participation in collegiate recreation is invaluable for college students and is hard to recreate elsewhere, as campus recreation is able to uniquely address many aspects of overall well-being, all at once. Numerous studies confirm that students benefit immensely from involvement in extracurricular activities they enjoy, like participating in group fitness classes or open rec, fostering enrichment and a genuine connection to their community, thereby enhancing the overall college experience. This sense of belonging has a ripple effect, offering a variety of advantages, including heightened self-esteem and improved academic performance. As students make meaningful social connections within collegiate recreation, their personal well-being undergoes positive transformations, fueling a passionate commitment to staying actively involved on campus or in the community. This passion, in turn, contributes to improved social health, enhanced mood and functionality, better time management skills, and a positive outlook on both the community and education. Prioritizing the personal well-being of students not only fosters thriving outside the classroom, but also has a direct and positive impact on their academic journey and future careers.

Being a leader in collegiate recreation has taught me like no other experience before. Once I started being an official, I noticed the strong connections people formed through playing intramural sports. Not only do we provide an outlet for safe competition, but we also provide a place for people to stay active and have fun. While winning is the ultimate goal for most people, intramural sports genuinely provide a way for people to connect, fostering even deeper connections and friendships.

After I started in campus recreation, I began to participate in intramural sports myself, joining every staff team there was, despite my limited skills in all sports but volleyball. Competing with the community I had found was a gratifying experience. Knowing that I played a role in creating a sense of community among our staff and seeing this community resonate with our participants, who return sport after sport with more teammates and friendships being formed, has kept me motivated to continue pursuing opportunities in campus recreation.

Above all, one of my favorite parts about my job is the impact I have on my staff and their development, not only as officials, but as people. Being able to see officials grow from start to finish truly is what makes me love my job so much. Even in short amounts of time, I am able to see people learn and change and better themselves. I will never take for granted how many people I am able to teach, but also learn from.

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?

The reimagining of learning, education, and networking without having equity of resources is a major issue students face today. Coming from two universities that are NIRSA member institutions, I could not imagine what my development would look like without the support to attend events such as Championship Series tournaments or regional or annual conferences. Being able to have access to these resources is a great privilege, which I imagine would be hard to receive without institutional support. Students who do not receive such support may not have the necessary capabilities to be able to access such resources, especially if they do not understand the value of these resources to begin with. After having to do outreach to encourage people to attend the Garden State Basketball Officials Clinic and Tournament hosted by Rowan University, individuals of smaller universities shared that they found it hard to teach officials without having the physical space or capacity to teach officials like larger institutions. Being that Region I has a lot of smaller programs, it becomes hard to find high-quality resources that are accessible. While this is only one example of an issue within one area of campus recreation, accessibility and equity of high-quality resources is an issue across multiple areas. A NIRSA membership provides a lot of great benefits, but not many students are aware of all the resources it provides. If I were to be selected, I would focus on coming up with an effective outreach strategy to help students understand what comes with a NIRSA membership and the value it brings to anybody’s professional development, even those who do not plan to stay in campus recreation long-term.

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.

My involvement with NIRSA started in 2021 when I volunteered to help run the flag football and basketball regional tournaments at the University of Maryland. Ever since then, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at various other regional and national basketball, flag football, and soccer tournaments. In addition to volunteering for the Championship Series, I have officiated at both a regional and a national basketball tournament.

Beyond volunteering and officiating for the Championship Series, I am actively engaged in NIRSA and currently serve as the New Jersey state student and have been working alongside the Region I leadership team on a couple projects. Most recently, I had the opportunity to help plan and facilitate the 2023 Region I Student Lead On in Rochester. On top of this, I communicate with the Region I leadership team regarding region and state-specific needs. On top of serving as a state student leader, I have recently been introduced to and started participating in the NIRSA Asian caucuses, a wonderful and welcoming space to share my experiences and learn from other Asian leaders within NIRSA.

Having been involved in many aspects of NIRSA, whether as a volunteer, official, student leader, or member, I have experienced and gotten to collaborate with many different people with many different backgrounds, positions, and perspectives. In a position like that of the Region I Student Leader, it is important to be able to speak to and understand the population that NIRSA serves in order to advocate for them. Having had many different experiences within the organization will help me better understand and serve the region, as well as encourage other students to take on different opportunities that the organization offers.

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 the reasons I love being involved in campus recreation is the ability to watch students develop both personally and professionally. There is no greater fulfillment than seeing students succeed in all aspects of life. Being that one of my strengths is relationship building, I enjoy getting to meet people and hearing about their journeys. Having had mentors throughout my campus recreation journey, once I became a graduate coordinator, I knew I wanted to help students through their own respective journeys, like my mentors helped me. Whether one wants to get a graduate assistantship or wants to apply to a field outside of campus recreation, I take pride in supporting people to find the right opportunities for their own development. Regardless of students’ future careers and aspirations, everyone can use and take something away from being involved in NIRSA. As someone who has taken a traditional path so far in campus recreation, as well as someone who initially had no plans of going into collegiate recreation, I greatly understand the value the organization brings in terms of student development and continue to encourage others to maximize NIRSA’s benefits and resources.

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

I am somebody who likes to step up and take charge, while also helping empower everyone on the team to be as involved as possible. I enjoy being a part of a team where everyone is able to showcase and highlight their own strengths so that I am always able to learn from others while we tackle projects together. I like to share my goals with my team so that I am seeking out experiences that are meaningful to my development, and also ask for others to share theirs when comfortable so that they are also doing the same. That is where my strength of being a developer comes into play. I often will go out of my way to help support individuals and their goals in any way I can. When the team is winning, I am also winning. By sharing strengths and goals, the Student Leadership Team can produce the best work possible for the betterment of students in each leader’s respective regions, as well as across the entire organization.

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.).

When it comes to my own time management, I really enjoy using a calendar or planner and physically blocking off time to create a healthy balance between my various roles. Having a general idea of how much time I should be spending on each role helps me stay grounded and balance all of my different responsibilities, helping to make sure I do not spend too much or too little time on one task or role. Additionally, communication and planning in advance are key to maintaining balance. I like to list my tasks in order of priority and break projects down into smaller, more mentally manageable tasks, then assign my own internal deadlines for each task, whether it be a homework assignment or work project. With what seems like a never-ending task list, it makes me much less overwhelmed to see a list of up to three tasks as “whole day events” in my calendar, on top of scheduled meetings and classes. If you take a look at my Outlook calendar, I have a bunch of reminders and task deadlines for weeks to come, and I adjust whenever needed. Nothing makes me happier than when I finish a task and delete the “event.” With the communication aspect, I regularly communicate with my supervisor on a weekly basis about my various roles and responsibilities, as well as the various projects that need to get done. We have a great system of listing out all of our projects and tasks and delegating out tasks amongst ourselves and our student leaders. By having this open line of communication with my supervisor and staff, it is easier to have accountability and ask for help when needed.