Life on Campus
From timid freshman to expert community advisor, Matthew Kearney has had eye-opening experiences living in the Southeast residence hall community. He came to Southeast three years ago from Carbondale, Ill., and was shocked on move-in day.
“I was an only child growing up, and there were plenty of times when I was alone in my house. So, I was shocked on move-in day to see all of these people moving into the same building and see how many people were on my floor.”
But the shock wore off, and suddenly, Matthew had a floor of “siblings” to hang out with. There was always something to do, he says.
“Everyone kept their doors open and everyone on the floor would hang out, playing cards, cooking, watching the big game, anything. The living arrangement really made my freshman year memorable.”
So memorable in fact, that Matthew decided to become a CA, community advisor, his sophomore and junior year. He lived in Towers East, a community-style residence hall, and was able to help incoming freshman have the same positive experience he had.
“Being a CA allowed me to get others involved and help make their experience here at Southeast more enjoyable. My experience was so incredible; I wanted to make sure other incoming freshman had the same great experiences I did.”
Matthew says living on campus is the best experience he has had at Southeast. It gave him an opportunity to meet new people, get involved with organizations and clubs and even find a job.
“On-campus living is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I encourage everyone to take advantage of it. I don’t know any other times when you can have 25 to 30 friends all on one floor and your food waiting for you downstairs.”
After three years of great experiences at Southeast, Matthew is heading to London to study for a semester. His excursions over seas will certainly add to his broad range of living experiences.