Maverick Profile: Community Advisor Connor Larson

Being a CA may be time consuming, but it has its rewards

“If you have the willing heart that always strives to help those in need and truly just want to put a smile on someone’s face, then this is the job for you,” said Conor Larson, a community advisor in the residential halls of the Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Larson had a touching story on why he wanted to become a CA in the first place.

“The CA on my floor before me did not do much to help anyone. I suppose he was just in it for the job and benefits that come with it,” Larson said.

A community advisor is exactly as the title describes it; every floor of each Residential Halls has one. Their job is mainly to help the individuals on their floor adjust to university life and organize events that bring people together to socialize, have fun and maybe even learn a thing or two from each other and the event.

The advisors themselves are generally just students but they come in two weeks before school starts for training. Most advisors are sophomores like Larson, or juniors, and actually learn quite a bit from the individuals on their floors as they may be from different locations, ethnicities, cultures, or backgrounds.

Larson admits that being a CA is not necessarily the easiest job in the world, and how he has had to forgo some of his personal pleasures to be at his best on the job.

“When you’re a CA you have to be on duty 16 nights a semester” Larson says. “You also have weekly meetings and have to plan events.”

This may not sound like much to handle but considering you also have classes, assignments and have to be a resource for about 50 people on your floor it could get hectic sometimes. “Time management is a real issue when it comes to this job,” he says, “and managing your time is very important.”

Time management is seemingly the most pressing issue on Larson’s plate as he says he has most, if not all his challenges covered.

“Everyone has a different perspective on various issues and although I was a bit opinionated at first I now clearly see that,” said Larson. He also said that apart from the CA job offering benefits like free housing he has also picked up a few skills during his short time as a CA.

One of these skills being flexibility, Larson said though time management is an issue, learning to cope with it has made him super flexible. He also said that meeting new people, getting to know them on a personal level is pretty cool. Larson tries to be there for everyone and does his best to solve any problem that comes his way.

“If anyone is looking for a job that will test your ability to give more that you receive then I definitely recommend being a CA,” said Larson.

Already confirmed to be a CA next year, Larson sees himself moving up in the near future to something related to the CA job since he plans on doing his masters at the great Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Larson has just begun his journey toward a bright future and there is no doubt that he will accomplish magnificent and wonderful things.

Photo: (Marjan Hussein/The Reporter)