Meet A Deac Monday
I will be out of the office this week following the passing of my P’92 mother. The Daily Deac will be dark the rest of the week; this message was pre-scheduled.
Part of what makes Wake Forest special is having a vibrant on-campus community. The Office of Residence Life and Housing plays a big role in helping students make Wake Forest their home. Today I’m pleased to introduce you to one of my great Residence Life and Housing colleagues, Stephanie Carter.
Thanks for doing this, Stephanie. Let’s get started!
Tell me your title and how long you’ve worked at Wake. I’m the Director of Residence Life, Residence Life and Housing. I’ve been here since February 2017, so 4+ years.
And what’s your educational background? My undergrad degree was a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from The Florida State University. I then got an M.Ed in College Student Affairs Administration from The University of Georgia, followed by an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University.
What do you do at Wake (in layperson’s terms?) I have the pleasure of working with the fun side of our work, the people part! My unit handles/manages the supervision of the in building staff including the Resident Advisers (RAs), the Graduate Hall Directors (GHDs), and the Community Directors (CDs). The fantastic staff within the halls are there to provide assistance, guidance, and leadership to our on campus students. My area also coordinates all aspects of residential student education, advising, conduct, and programming/engagement for our (pre-COVID) 4,000+ students who reside on campus. Most of my job is providing support and resources to the staff who provide direct support to our students.
What new challenges have you taken on during the pandemic? I was named the President of the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) this year, very unexpectedly [laughs] and I helped moderate some of the Faculty/Staff forums, to name a couple of non-departmental related things.
What has been your biggest COVID challenge? Hands down, its been managing remote work and remote learning for my 5th grade son for the past year. There used to be a separation when I got drop him off at school and go to work, but when all of those are now happening in the same space, its been quite the challenge but we are surviving (or at least giving it the old college try)!
What is the best thing about working at Wake, in your opinion? I truly enjoy the staff in our office and others around the Campus Life division (and beyond). As well, Wake is a beautiful campus and I have the great pleasure of living within the gates of it so I get to experience its beauty every single day and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Speaking of students, what advice would you offer them if you could? Get to know the staff in your residence hall from your RA to your Graduate Hall Director (GHD) to your Community Director (CD). The staff around you are there to help you have an unrivaled residential experience. Our office wants to make sure you are enjoying your experience on campus – and if you aren’t, we want you to know what resources are available to you to help course correct as needed.
What advice would you give parents and families..? Empower your student to fully embrace the Wake Forest experience. Allow them to make connections and get to know the resources on campus so they can seek help/assistance when its needed. Challenge them to do it for themselves. Resist the urge to make the phone call on their behalf. Encourage them to do it first; you can provide the back up, but only if its requested.
What do you miss about normal times on campus? I truly miss the many campus traditions, I miss our office being filled with staff, having in-person meetings and lunches, the fellowship and community that is built in those moments.
Now it’s time for my favorite part: the lightning round bonus questions!
Book you are reading now: The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers and Drive Results by Maylett and Wride
Favorite music: Hmmmm…I don’t have a favorite person, but my genre would be old school R&B.
TV, movies, Netflix: Definitely depends on the night of the week but some of my favs include: Queen Sugar, This is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, Grown-ish, Black-ish, Law and Order SVU, Good Girls, Real Housewives Of Atlanta, and a few other guilty pleasures.
Websites you frequent: Mostly social media sites (Facebook and Instagram).
Guilty pleasures: Desserts…my sweet tooth is out 
of this world.
Introvert or extrovert? Introvert.
What is something most people don’t know about you? In high school, I made a hole in one during a golf match (I was captain of the team). Please note, this was not putt-putt!
What will be the first thing you do post-pandemic? Travel! I need to go see my parents and family.
What didn’t I ask you that you wish I had? “What do you do for fun?”…to which I would say Crossfit!
I was hoping you’d mention that somewhere. You are one of the fittest folks I know, and so committed to our idea of Thrive and wellbeing. Many thanks for being our Meet A Deac this week, Stephanie! And thank you for all you do for our students.
(Editor’s note: past Meet A Deacs are archived here).