Ka-La Harris '19
Ka-La Harris ’19 says her time at Illinois College taught her to embrace new experiences.
As a student she kept her schedule full — studying math and art, serving as a student ambassador, being involved in the Black Student Union, working with TRIO services and joining Gamma Delta literary society.
While each area of involvement enriched her life and education, it was the three years she spent working on campus for IC Residential Life that proved to be the most life-changing. Ka-La spent two years as an RA and was promoted to hall director during her senior year. Campus-living is a big part of the college experience for most IC students — 85% of students choose to live on campus each year. For Ka-La that experience ignited a passion for higher ed administration. She spent the summer after graduation exploring the art and economics of Italy on an IC BreakAway trip. Ka-La is now the residence hall director and the Panhellenic advisor at Truman State University.
“My experience working with residential life at IC was amazing. It is something that I really learned to love and I want to spend the rest of my life doing it. I grew to be able to handle the responsibilities that come along with that job. I don’t think I would have been able to have an experience like this anywhere else. The community at IC is really special.”