Meet Amanda Morales, Director of Residence Life

Amanda Morales recently completed her first semester as Meredith’s director of residence life as part of her more than 14-year career as a college housing professional. 

Morales enjoys working with students, which was what drew her to the position at Meredith from her previous role at a much larger university.

“My last position was director at a mid-sized regional institution with 1,800 residential students on a campus of 12,000 undergrad/graduate students,” said Morales. “There I found that I was missing the opportunity to interact directly with students in meaningful ways as I had done in previous roles. When deciding to apply for this role I thought that the size of the campus and residence life staff would ensure more direct connections, which has proven to be true.”

She finds working with resident students to be a meaningful career because of how she’s able to positively impact their experience. 

“Students spend a lot of time in campus housing engaging in their studies and each other. It is our goal for them to have a great experience that cultivates academic and interpersonal success,” Morales said. “It can at times be tough, but the work we do is important, and when done well can aid in the student success and progress toward graduation of our students.” 

Before joining the College Programs staff at Meredith, Morales had worked in a variety of roles in residence life, starting as resident assistant to hall director and on to her current position. She has also held leadership roles in professional organizations including the Southern Association for College Student Affairs, the Southeast and Southwest Associations of College and University Housing Professionals, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

“Amanda brings a wealth of residence life experience from working at small and large institutions and she has a passion for supporting students and residence life team members,” said Dean of Students Ann Gleason. “At Meredith, she has appreciated being part of a community that provides ‘wrap-around’ support for students as they navigate college through their learning and campus living experiences.”

During her time at Meredith, Morales has been focused on getting to know the Meredith community.

“While I am still learning the campus culture and needs of Meredith students and the College, I am hopeful that our team will be able to continue to empower students and meet them where they are while encouraging them to rise to their potential,” Morales said. “We are currently reviewing several of our operational processes and anticipate building a residential curriculum in the fall.”

There are numerous benefits to living on campus during college. Read a recent post on our Admissions Blog for more!