By Jessica Harrington STAFF WRITER
“Be dedicated to what it is you are doing. Find what motivates you. It will allow you to continue in times of difficulty. Lastly, be humble.”
That is the advice Anthony Porcelli, assistant dean at Hofstra University, has for those in leadership positions. He doesn’t consider himself an expert in the field but he does have a lot of experience under his belt.
“In college, I was a resident assistant (RA) for three years as an undergraduate student. I then went back as a graduate assistant while obtaining my masters. After that, I came to Hofstra as a resident director (RD) for two years. My last year as an RD I also taught the RA training class. Now I am in the Center of University Advising,” said Porcelli.
Porcelli knows as well as anyone that being a leader comes with many obstacles and a lot of hard work.
In his class, Porcelli prepares RAs at Hofstra to be the best student leaders they can. “You are not a person who is done learning. Do not look at yourself as an expert in the field who has all of the answers to everything. Know full well there is a lot more for you to learn. If you do that, you invest in learning in ways you did not anticipate. And that is how true progress is made,” said Porcelli.
When asked what keeps bringing him back to these positions, his response was, “I don’t think I would have very fulfilling work without helping others. In most of my positions, I’ve held a mentorship role. What it comes down to is, I don’t like seeing people struggle with things.”
That statement can be supported by a number of his students and residential staff members. “He is great because of his sincerity. He genuinely wants to help all of the students that he can. He is never too busy for others,” said Lili Avila, a senior public relations major and RA at Hofstra University.
Porcelli is fortunate enough to have had the chance to influence a number of peers and students. So far, he favored his job as an RD most. Porcelli described having a residential staff as, “An amazing thing to be a part of. I felt as though I had more of a concrete impact as an RD because I really got to know a set group of people and see them grow.”