When the Resident Assistant (RA) position first presented itself to me, I found myself considering less whether I wanted the role and more what kind of people I hoped would receive it. I thought about what I want my own experience living at U Share to feel like and what kind of community I would want to have around me.
I kept coming back to the same ideas:
- For U Share to feel safe, welcoming, and comfortable for everyone.
- For people to know one another, to feel included, and to feel as if they belong.
I wanted no one to feel as if they were simply living in a building surrounded by strangers, but instead for U Share to feel like a shared home — a place where people can connect, support one another, and create friendships and experiences that extend beyond their time here.
Then I thought: if this is the environment I hope to live in, and I know so many others do too, then why not be part of creating it?
That was the moment I decided to apply, and hopefully become an RA.
For me, becoming an RA is not simply about taking on responsibility or gaining work experience while living here in Japan, but about contributing to something bigger than myself. Living at U Share has shown me how influential community can be in shaping people’s experiences. A place becomes memorable not because of the building itself, but because of the people within it and the culture they create together. I want to help shape that culture.
What draws me to this role is that it goes beyond logistics. It is fundamentally about creating an environment where people feel recognised, included, and excited to engage with the people around them. It is about being approachable, encouraging connection, and helping ensure that everyone feels like they have a place and are a valued member of the community here.
Over my time at U Share, I have already seen firsthand how small actions — introducing people, organising something simple, checking in, or inviting someone along — can have a meaningful impact on someone’s experience. These experiences have also shown me that creating a community takes people who are willing to initiate conversations, create opportunities, and make others feel comfortable stepping outside of their routines. This is something I genuinely enjoy doing and hope I can do more of now as an RA.
Ultimately, U Share offers something incredibly unique: people from different places, cultures, and experiences all living under one roof. Being an RA allows me to help ensure people make the most of that opportunity. I want people to leave feeling like they were part of something amazing, not that they simply stayed somewhere.
I am genuinely excited by the possibility of taking on this role, and I already have so many ideas for events, initiatives, and ways to continue strengthening and growing the U Share community.
Curious about the RA experience? Learn more on the Resident Assistant page.
