By Krissy Proctor
Staff Writer
Myra Goza was happy. For 11 years, she tended the girls of the Bryan residence halls as a director: matchmaking roommates, wiping away tears from heart-broken faces and even allowing the occasional raucous pillow fight to enter her domain in Arnold Hall.
Tending to her romantic life was hardly a concern.
However, she looks back now and can see that God and friends had other ideas. At the end of this semester, the long-time staff member and friend will leave Bryan Hill for good to wed her fiancé, Bruce, and become a mother to two young children in Wisconsin.
“I’ve loved everything about Bryan,” she said Monday. “The students, the campus, the people…I planned to be here for a while. God just changed those plans.”
Goza isn’t the only director with a new lease on life. Kristina Anderson and Tim Shetter, of Robinson and Woodlee-Ewing residence halls respectively, have also found that God works in mysterious and exciting ways.
“I have no doubt that God has had me here for the last three years,” explained Anderson, “but during ‘Break for Change’ I fell in love with the kids and the community there as well.” Anderson submitted her resignation several weeks ago and has accepted a position with “Hope for Opelousas Ministries.” Anderson will be moving to Opelousas, LA after graduation to take up the administrative position as the second full-time employee the organization has hired since its establishment in 2008.
Shetter is also making a big move, though the boys of Woodlee-Ewing won’t have to look far to find him. As of last week, he has accepted a position as the director over Bryan’s new “transitional housing” projects.
“I’m thrilled to walk along side juniors and seniors as they make decisions and live life together. It feels like we are walking through the ‘wardrobe’ where everyday will be an adventure, and I can’t wait,” he said Monday.
Discussion of replacing the three directors was postponed until after the resident assistant interviews were completed last week. Out of the 24 interviewed RA applicants, 18 were accepted, including two additional students who will assist Shetter and upperclassmen in the new apartments. Those interviewed will be notified of their acceptance within the next few days.
In the meanwhile, all three directors continue to prepare for life’s big changes.
“It is very exciting,” Goza said after returning from a long day of shopping for her wedding dress. “Everything has happened quickly…after a friend from Bryan introduced us, we talked for a while and finally met Feb. 19. He proposed the 20th… God has just moved in this situation, and while I will miss everyone here, right now things are busy enough that I haven’t had time to think about it.” She smiled demurely, with a faint twinkle in her eye.
“I’m planning a wedding.”