Assistant Director of Student Services Ryan Smith continued the trend last fall of Waynesburg University students being hired to work for the school. After getting a Bachelor’s of Arts in International Studies in 2015, and a Master’s of Business Administration at Southepointe as well, Smith came back to Waynesburg’s main campus to work where he felt comfortable.

Not only was it a fit to be back with the university, but his job has him working with the Student Activities Board, an organization he was with all four years of college.

In being with SAB, Smith saw the opportunity to make events that students would genuinely be interested attending; after all, that’s the point of students being in the organization.

“I was in SAB all four years, and I oversaw the musical entertainment committee; so, for instance the coffeehouses, the wing nights… that type of things,” said Smith. “Actually, wing nights started with my committee. One of the aspects in SAB is for students to formulate events that they want to do themselves. Why would we plan an event that we don’t want to go to?”

Smith and most of his friends were in the organization, thinking of ways to make campus entertaining for the student body throughout the semester. Now in his new role after college, Smith is continuing that ideology once again.

After the conclusion of last semester, Smith helped create a welcome back to campus event for students after an extended time away from the university over winter break, one of many events he gets to plan throughout the year.

“Winterfest was one of them, and so, I planned Winterfest and came up with that just for like the welcome back of the semester,” said Smith. “So, after everyone is gone for break, let’s have Winterfest.”

Currently, Smith attends many meetings pertaining to the running of the university and is involved throughout the campus in representing student services. Planning new events is a particularly exciting part of the job for him, and in the future, will be a main focus.

Pat Bristor, Associate Dean of Students, is known on campus for being at events and helping plan them with SAB as well. After knowing her for years during his time with the organization as a student, Smith is excited for the opportunity to work to continue improving campus life.

“I worked with [Bristor] in Student Activities Board in undergrad, and have been able to continue on as a profession,” said Smith. “Things have been smooth, it’s easy to bounce back and forth because we know each other on a more personal level. Shooting different ideas to her and just talking back and forth seems to be easier that way.”

As for moving from being a student at the university to working for it, Smith says it’s been an easy adjustment as he moves to life after college.

“I think that it’s been a really good experience because I know faculty and staff and the offices on campus, so I’m familiar with a lot of people and a lot of people are familiar with me,” said Smith. “It’s easier to work with them in that aspect of just knowing people already rather than starting from scratch from relationship to relationship. Which has been a very smooth transition.”