For 11 years Yinka Jenmy has served the Lamar University community as the assistant director for residence life. The university employs Yinka to manage a team of 22 student workers and operate two residence halls – Monroe and Morris. But from Yinka’s perspective, she’s working to help students grow.
“I’m passionate about what I do,” said Yinka. “I know I’m here to facilitate and be that liaison between administration and my staff and think I have done that effectively over the years because I love the students, the university and the community; but really I take it as my responsibility to get students to the next level of their lives.”
All of Yinka’s student workers know her motto: “You don’t work for me, you work with me.” She regularly reminds her students that they should be learning from one another, communicating and moving together for the benefit of the university and individual students living in the residence halls.
“We are one team, one band, one sound,” said Yinka. “We work together to make sure students feel safe and secure, feel welcomed among a diverse population and we help them grow as they matriculate through the university."
Yinka and her team plan programs, both social and educational, to make sure residence stay connected. Most recently Yinka orchestrated an entire resident appreciation week. Held in February 2020, the week featured an event a day including coffee and donuts, a barbeque, wings and bingo and lots of free swag. She also invited other departments within her division, such as Career & Professional Development, to visit with students and share information about career opportunities. She also used the time to recruit new members to her team.
“I love working with students and love working with people within our department,” said Yinka. “Working together we can transform and do things we haven’t done before. Progressive initiatives, like the appreciation week, excite me and give us an opportunity to work to retain our residents and truly show we appreciate them.”
Yinka and her students have been on the front line of disaster response at LU. During Harvey and Imelda, her students were called on to prepare and serve food in the Brook-Shivers Dining Hall. Now during the coronavirus pandemic, Yinka and her students ensured the safety and security of students and their families as they moved out of their dorms.
“We’ve built a resilience,” said Yinka. “As long as we are banding together on one accord, we can make it happen.”
