Erin Grant
Staff Writer
In light of the new school year, there are a lot of new faces, both students and staff. One of these new faces is new Community Director Tina Webster. The latest member of The Office of Community Living team leads Publix Commons Greek Village, buildings 61, 62 and 63. With a background in education and a deep appreciation for the Lakeland community, Ms. Webster is eager to foster a sense of belonging and connection among her residents.
Before becoming a staff member at Florida Southern, Webster was a previous elementary school teacher, teaching pre-K through second grade. While Webster may be new to the student body, she’s familiar with Lakeland. She’s a proud alum of Southeastern University, so she spent several years just under 10 minutes away from our beautiful campus.
“I was really familiar with Florida Southern. I love Lakeland and honestly missed it, so when I was looking for a little bit of change, I saw this job opportunity … and here we are,” Webster said.
When asked about her journey to FSC, Webster shared a bit about what drew her to Florida Southern. She spoke highly of the intimate community FSC is so well known for. “When I started interviewing, it was funny because I asked every single person what their favorite part of FSC was, and they all said the people, the community,” Webster said.
Coming into the role, Webster was excited to contribute to the wonderful community she heard so much about. She has high hopes of increasing engagement on campus, not only in the Greek Village but also campus-wide. Though her position is task-oriented admin work, she is committed to focusing on the human element of her job that can easily go unnoticed.
“My purpose is to foster those relationships [with residents], so that’s what I’m prioritizing every single day,” Webster said.
She has many ideas regarding how to engage residents within her community, but she is aware that the most important thing is that “[residents] feel plugged in and cared about.” For her, building a strong community isn’t just about hosting mandatory events; it’s about making sure that students feel connected and supported.
“Even the simplest thing, like inviting [a resident] to an event, can be powerful,” Webster said.
One new initiative she and her team are particularly excited about focuses on getting to know residents and what their interests are.
“Instead of reinventing the wheel with new events, we’re meshing what the residents and our team care about. For example, if someone on my team is really into sports, we’ll find a resident with similar interests and work together to create an event.” Webster said.
With this approach, Webster is hopeful she can support Residential Advisors (RAs) while engaging the residents she serves, especially those who may not be as comfortable attending an event. At the heart of Webster’s work is a passion for fostering a strong, tight-knit community.
“I’m here to make sure that those connections come first,” Webster said. “By prioritizing students, Ms. Webster hopes to continue building the community that first drew up to FSC.
