MEET THE RESIDENCE LIFE AREA COORDINATOR TEAM

You may have noticed a lot of new faces in Cann Hall, and that is because, in the past year, we have welcomed three new Area Coordinators! An Area Coordinator is a live-in, full-time professional staff member that collaborates with the Resident Assistants (Ras) and Senior Resident Assistants (SRAs) to build vibrant communities inside the residence halls that encourage student engagement and success at Widener. Each AC works tirelessly to make the Residence Halls a welcoming community and is passionate about the students on campus.
Tyler Zero is the Area Coordinator for Neighborhood 2, which consists of Harris Hall, Boettner Hall, New Hall, and the sorority houses. This is his first year at Widener University as he started in the Fall of 2022. He has his Master’s degree in Higher Education Student Affairs Leadership. A fun fact about Tyler is that he has written 2 ½ plays and also has written 85,000 words of a fantasy novel. Tyler came to Widener as he was impressed with the outcomes for graduates and he wanted to help be a part of that. What stands out to Tyler is how much Widener focuses on being valued as an individual, and he truly believes that Widner accomplishes that. His favorite memory is, “I was watching television with my partner one night and heard someone at the window say ‘I wish I could see Leo [one of his cats]’, so I grabbed Leo and placed him on his cat tower by the window. The look on the student's face was priceless and they were super thankful.”
Sarah Niles is the next AC to introduce and she only started here at Widener a few weeks ago. She is the Area Coordinator for Neighborhood 4 which is home to Moll, Sharples, Kapelski, and Grasselli. She has her bachelors in Leadership in Education and is currently working on her Master’s in Education in College Student Affairs (graduating this May). She chose Widener because the residence life staff made her feel welcome and she knew that there was a strong community here. That is also what stands out the most to her at Widener. No matter how small, there is a tight-knit community that engages all and makes Widener unique. Although she does not have a favorite memory yet, she is definitely creating moments that stick with her. One fun fact is that she loves to make authentic Chinese food with her mom for holidays as she is Chinese.
Another new AC is Trinity Williams (she/her) and I am the new area coordinator for neighborhood 1 which includes Thayer, Howell, Turrell, and the 500 blocks. She received her
bachelor’s in mass communication from Lincoln University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (ZQ) and also works as a pageant coach after work hours. Her favorite shows include Grey's Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, and her new favorite, New Amsterdam.
The final AC that is a part of the Residence Life staff is Ian Jackson. He is the AC for neighborhood 3 which hosts Metropolitain Hall and both the Dixons. He worked at Widener for two years. He got his bachelor’s degree in Economics/Actuarial Science and his master’s in Counseling Education. His favorite memory from his time here is RHA’s Late Night Breakfast. “Seeing students relaxing and having fun is the perfect motivation for me to continue working with and for college students. Especially when everyone broke out into dancing, it was so wholesome and such pure excitement.” He chose Widener because of how close it was to everything he loves, including his friends, family, and the Philadelphia Union! A fun fact about Ian is that his first-ever college swim meet was actually here at Widener. Finally, what stands out to Ian about Residence Life is how dedicated the team is to making Widener a safe and comfortable home.