Residential Experience Leadership
Dr. Edwin Toshio Hamada
He/Him/His
Associate Vice President, Student Life
ehamada@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: Orange County, California and Washington (Seattle & Pullman)
Education: Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (University of Washington); M.S. College Student Personnel (Western Illinois University); B.A. Psychology (University of San Francisco)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: Tinkering and fixing things (cars or anything with a motor... or if it is expensive to hire a professional). I enjoy hiking, history/old things, exploring places. I am a sports fan and will watch any sport for about an hour before I have to do something productive. I also follow a particular superstition if my team is losing!
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: Watching students and professional staff grow from the CC experience. My undergraduate experience changed my life/career and I strive to create an environment where others have the same opportunity to find themselves through engagement and leadership roles.
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: Keep your fancy coffee intake to a minimum and your meal plan/budget will thank you. Also, find your people/activity to help you connect with others and CC. You will get good grades (as you have your entire academic career) but are you developing your leadership skills and discovering who you are as an adult! That is what will separate you from the other college graduates.
Kim Taylor
She/Her/Hers
Admin Assistant - Student Life/SHIP/Faulty Apts
ktaylor@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: Owensboro, KY
Education: B.B.A (Ole Miss)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: Reading, traveling, watching SEC sports, walking my labs - Maizie and Mose
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: Meeting Oprah at the 2019 Commencement; my colleagues in ResX/Housing.
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: Make sure you enroll in or waiver out of the SHIP each year!
Samantha Soren
She/Her/Hers
Director of Housing & The Residential Experience
ssoren@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: St. Joseph, MI & Chicago Suburbs
Education: M.A. Educational Leadership Higher Education and Student Affairs (Western Michigan University); B.A. Political Science & Art History (Rutgers University)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: Running, traveling whenever I can, Marvel Movies, concerts, watching Rangers & CC Hockey, playing with my cat
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: Leading a department of passionate leaders/professionals who all genuinely care about the work we do and for our students
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: Get to know your RA & RLC. Embrace change!
Jonothan Stephenson
He/Him/His
Assistant Director of Residential Experience
jstephenson@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Education: M.A. Educational Leadership, concentration in Student Affairs (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs); B.S. in Business Administration, emphasis in Marketing (Colorado State University)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: When I am away from campus I am usually skiing in the mountains, or crafting!
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: I absolutely love Move-In Day for the energy and excitement that students have!
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: Use spaces in the residential buildings, Loomis has a gaming set up in the basement!
Kaitlyn Griffin
She/Her/Hers
Assistant Director of Housing Operations
kgriffin2024@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: Temecula, CA, USA
Education: Master of Education, College Student Affairs Leadership (Grand Valley State University); Bachelor of Science, Psychology and Sociology (Northern Arizona University)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: I love that my role has many moving pieces that need to be managed; it allows me to have variety throughout my day which keeps me engaged and energized.
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: I absolutely love Move-In Day because of the energy and excitement that students have!
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: If change is overwhelming to you, try one new thing every semester; this can be trying a new food, activity, or meeting new people.
Jamal Westry
He/Him/His
Facilities & Maintenance Manager for Residential Housingjwestry@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: Augusta, GA
Education: M.S. IT Management (Colorado State University)
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: Watching/playing sports
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: My most enjoyable aspect about CC in general, not just my role, is the relationships I get to build around campus. CC is filled with great people and I am grateful to be a part of the CC team.
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: CC has a lot to offer, take advantage of it!
Jay Raoul Jeanneret
He/Him/His
Director of Custodial Servicesjwestry@coloradocollege.edu
Hometown: Pacifica, California
Education: I received my formal education from Johnson & Wales University, Denver Campus in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. Out of college I worked for my alma matter for 17 years, the first 10 in Residential Life and the later 7 as a Financial Planner. During this time, I also earned my MBA from Colorado Christian University. I eventually found my way to Sodexo!
Favorite Personal Interests or Hobbies: I enjoy sitting on my back porch (sunny days) and talking with my family about life, scrolling through my phone or occasionally reading a good book. I'm currently reading The Book of Signs, 31 Undeniable Prophecies of the Apocalypse by Dr. David Jeremiah. I do recommend!
Most Memorable Moments in My Role at CC: There are a lot of memorable experiences, but most have to do with cleaning up messes. I will spare the details. If you are really interested, you'll need to ask in person. Most enjoyable is when we get good positive feedback.
Campus Life Hack for CC Residents: Taking your trash, recycling, compost all the way to the dumpster makes you an instant rock star!