Student Leader Spotlight – Kylee Acoba

For this round of our Student Leader Spotlight, we are showcasing Kylee Acoba, a wonderful, veteran Resident Assistant at Maple Hall! Kylee has gone above and beyond to show love and support to her Maple staff, residents, and family! She is an amazing student leader and you can read more about her below!

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Major: Radio/Television/Film and Spanish

On-Campus Involvement: Residence Life Advisor Council Inclusivity and Diversity Committee Chair, Talons

Why do you choose to be involved as a student leader? Giving back to fellow UNT students, especially underclassmen, gives me great joy and a sense of accomplishment. They (along with my Mamily staff) help me to be a selfless, service oriented person, even more so than I help them.

What have you learned about leadership through your work with others on campus? Like I said, I’ve learned selflessness but also time management! Through my position I’m made more aware of diversity in the world and the injustices that plague much of our culture, even when it trickles down into dorm life. Working in housing has given me something and someone(s) to fight for.

What is your most memorable experience at UNT so far? My most memorable experience would probably be the culmination of my time with other Maple RAs. They are the most caring and funny people I know; they have made my time here unforgettable.

What advice would you give a student who wants to be involved on campus? Do it in any way you can. Even if you think you can’t handle the time commitment, try it out and scale back if you need to. Most likely, though, you’ll find that being a part of student orgs only enriches your academic and overall university experience.

How does being involved in housing complement your academics? It definitely helps me to prioritize my time wisely. Also, because I am a film major, I’m constantly inspired with script ideas or visual images from residents and the residence hall in general.

Who is a role model of yours and why? At the moment I am admiring Ellen Page for her bravery to come out publicly as a way of giving back to the LGBT community and as an example of profound honesty. She also always picks fantastic movie scripts that have tangible life lessons- not so cliché, as other big budget movies tend to be.

Do you have a favorite quote or motto? “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

What is one project or program you are proud to have helped implement? I’m proud of my “swag 101” program I did my rookie semester. I created a PowerPoint presentation about male fashion with lots of pictures and questions but mainly used it as a springboard for discussion. I asked residents what they thought was fashionable and why, what the ladies appreciated most in male fashion, etc. I also had a few staff members and residents come out in their best outfits and model for us- it was fun and educational!

What or who has been most helpful to you as a student leader at UNT? Stacie Stine and T.J. Zambrano. Period.

“Kylee is a strong leader within Maple Hall, and is using that experience to become more involved with Housing as a whole. She takes time to get to know each of her co-workers on an individual basis, which is no small task on a large staff. She recently made individual cards for each staff member that were funny, personalized, and encouraging. A lot of time was spent making them, but the impact they had was far greater. She is also becoming more involved with RLAC, as she volunteered this semester to be the Diversity Committee Chair. She jumped on board quickly and immediately met with Cherita, who is the RLAC Exec that oversees that committee. Cherita mentioned that Kylee is excited and passionate about the committee and in what she hopes to achieve with it. Kylee is always striving to be positive, even on the tough days. She has a lot of passion for many things: the well-being of others, the Maple community, her major, and especially her family. She makes everyone feel like the individual they are, and not just another face in the crowd. She works hard to be a great RA.” – T.J. Zambrano, Maple Hall Director

We are so proud of Kylee for being a great servant leader in our department! She is a fantastic role model for staff and residents and we are lucky to have her as such a valued veteran RA! 

Student Leader Spotlight – Leidy Guarin

Our Student Leader Spotlight initiative recognizes student leaders in housing who have built a great reputation in our department and who model servant leadership everyday. We are spotlighting Leidy Guarin, a Resident Assistant at College Inn, for her dedication, hard work, and passion for being an integral part of the housing family! See more about Leidy below!

Leidy Guarin

Hometown: Bedford, Texas

Major: Double Major in Development and Family Studies/Spanish

On-Campus Involvements: NT40, Residence Life Advisor Council, Emerald Eagle Scholars, Multicultural Scholarship Program, National Society of Collegiate Leaders, Student Government Freshmen Intern, Alpha Lambda Delta Freshmen Honor Society, Leadershape, Cancer Awareness Ambassador just to name a few!

With College Inn residents and staff

Why do you choose to be involved as a student leader? I love to meet new people and feel like I am a part of something greater. I am a strong believer in community service and by being a student leader I have had the opportunity to be involved in a variety of projects. It is also an amazing networking opportunity. I have been told many times that it is not necessary what you know, but who you know. Being involved has allowed me to reach my goals as a student and also as a member of the community.

What have you learned about leadership through your work with others on campus? I have learned that there are many types of leaders , but I should strive to be a servant leader. By being a part of many different student groups I have also learned that being a good leader takes works and not everything will go your way. I used to think that in order for something to be done right I had to do it. Through my experiences I have learned to step back and be okay with being the follower as well.

What is your most memorable experience at UNT so far? My most memorable experience at UNT would have to be speaking at the Emerald Eagle Ball my freshman year. I was one of two Emerald Eagle Scholars that were selected to speak in front of over 300 people at the event. This was such an accomplishment for me because I have really bad stage fright even though I am a very outgoing person. It was so great to be able to share my story with others and help raise money for my scholarship.

With UNT’s new President Smatresk at an NT40 meeting!

What advice would you give a student who wants to be involved on campus? There are volunteer opportunities everywhere around campus so take advantage of them. By volunteering at an event it will open so many doors for you because people will know who you are and guide you to more volunteer opportunities or even perhaps an on-campus job. If you just don’t know who to talk to in order to get involved there are so many departments on campus that you can take advantage of. For example in Housing: getting involved as a Wing-rep or Eco-rep.

How does being involved in housing complement your academics? I am a Development and Family Studies and Spanish double major so I feel like I have had the opportunity to use my majors in one way or the other by being a part of housing. I know that I have to keep my grades up to be a part of this wonderful family so it motivates me. I know that my staff and residents look up to me so it makes me thing twice about my decisions and helps keep me in check.

Who is a role model of yours and why? My mother is one of them because she is a very strong woman who has been there for me through everything. She did not have the chance to receive the education that I am so fortunate to have, but she has made it so far in even with the English barrier and being a single mother. I want to one day be an independent, strong woman like my mother. Another of my role models is Agnieszka Beavers, she was my TRiO Talent Search program when I was in high school and she has been such an amazing support for me, especially when it came to college. She help me make the decision to come to this wonderful university and is help many other students get to where I am now.

What or who has been most helpful to you as a student leader at UNT? I think that just a part of the housing family has help me tremendously to be a better leader and person in general.

“Leidy consistently goes above and beyond in the areas of staff unity and community development. Leidy has orchestrated a staff run club to help the staff achieve their fitness goals. Leidy attends every intramural game she is able and brings residents with her each time. Leidy’s face is well-known around the building and her positive attitude is infectious. Currently, Leidy is collaborating with NRHH and other areas of Housing to assist a former College Inn resident confined to a wheelchair in realizing her dream of walking across the stage at graduation. She is organizing multiple fundraising efforts to that end. Leidy’s passion for her position, her residents, and her staff is evident to all who encounter her, and she believes that putting in the minimum is never good enough. As a consequence, her minimum is much higher than most other people’s.” – Josh Gosdin, College Inn Hall Director

We are so lucky to have a great role model and student in our department who models servant leadership every day for our students and staff! If you see Leidy, thank her for being such a wonderful housing student leader!