Emily Zheng (second from left) joined faculty and peers to meet with artists at First Friday.
University Residences provides opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills through a variety of experiences. At Purdue in Indianapolis, leadership action and ideals are often stimulated through curiosity, connection and the courage to step into new experiences.
Emily Zheng, a resident assistant (RA) at LUX on Capitol in Indianapolis, recently participated in such an opportunity when she joined faculty and peers in downtown Indianapolis for First Friday at the Factory Arts District, a monthly cultural celebration that showcases local artists and their work. The outing was recommended by Jordan Richards, Residential Academic Initiatives’ assistant director for Indianapolis, who shared the event with RAs.
Unlike her previous visits to similar events that Zheng describes as passive, she found an immersive experience at First Friday. She was able to speak directly with artists, such as a scientist blending artistic mediums to create glow-in-the-dark and 3D art, and met an artist who turned to art as a healing outlet while battling cancer.
“I think what set it apart from museum visits I’ve done in the past was the ability to hold conversations with the artists who were there,” Zheng says. “The artists were really eager to talk about their work and you could ask questions or explore the story behind why an artist decided to choose this medium or pursue art in the first place. I think that in itself was extremely valuable.”
The experience reinforced the importance of balancing hobbies and other interests with coursework and day-to-day life.
“A lot of these artists have other jobs,” Zheng says. “I recall one artist who was a biology teacher but also dabbles in art on the side. Another was a breast cancer survivor and she said art really helped get her through while dealing with a lot of challenges. Even as college students, a lot of us are extremely focused on work and tasks. I feel it’s really valuable to take a step back every once in a while to look at the passions we have and see what time we can dedicate to them.”
Zheng’s experience at First Fridays was also a lesson in leadership. By listening, engaging, and learning from others’ stories, she modeled how students in Indianapolis are not only building community on campus but also stepping into leadership roles as ambassadors of Purdue in the city. She plans to incorporate some of the lessons she learned into her role as an RA, particularly as she focuses on building relationships within her community.
“I think the basis of any environment is a balance of how hardworking you can be within a discipline and enjoyment,” Zheng says. “As an RA, I hope to develop more soft skills and interact more with other people.”
Additional inspiration has come from other RAs – such as another RA greeting everyone who attended an event with the phrase, “Hi, friends” – and Purdue in Indianapolis staff.
“Jordan [Richards] also showed us a video and one of the things that stood out was the fact that if even one person comes to an event, it can still be successful because you can inspire that student or cater the event specifically towards them,” Zheng says. “As an RA, I’m now more aware of who my residents are, who goes where and who I’m seeing often.”
Zheng will continue to apply the lessons she’s learned as an RA and through other extracurricular endeavors, such as serving as an ambassador for the Department of Computer Science and treasurer of the Computer Science Club. She is studying computer science and hopes to one day work in software development or game design.