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2025 Special ELECTIONS: meet your candidates!! |
Election Timeline:
Tuesday, September 9: Materials Sent to District
Wednesday, September 10 - Friday, September 12: Elections (opens and closes at 12 p.m.)
Announcement to Membership:
Tues, September 16 Please note that this timeline may be adjusted if a run-off is needed or not. | Duties of Elected Officers:
To learn more on each position, please visit this page: Elected Overview. |
Schafer Collins (they/them)
Current Professional Position: Current Institution: Previous Professional Position(s) Held & Location(s):
Education:
| To learn more about Schafer, see her Introduction Video! Candidate Statement: Hello NEACUHO! My name is Schafer Collins (they/them) and it is with great excitement that I submit my candidacy for the Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont District Coordinator! I am entering my fifth academic year working professionally in residence life. Over the years I have served as a hall director at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Merrimack College, the Rhode Island School of Design, and now Saint Anselm College. Having been at these institutions who serve vastly different student populations, I have learned that connection and support are critical to success. One of my passion areas is the staff experience. I truly believe that it is critical for institutions and organizations to create opportunities for growth and development, this not only serves the institution, but also the staff member! NEACUHO offers a great many ways to engage and learn and I hope to provide these opportunities and encourage engagement with our district members. Having recently transitioned into a more operational role, I have truly been able to experience the impact on having a strong support network. From astute guidance to the answer of a silly question, having someone in your corner who knows and understands the hectic world that residence life can be incredibly impactful. NEACUHO has provided me with that mentorship, some of which has been found through my former District Coordinator! Within NEACUHO, I have been able to attend the Regional Entry Level Institute (May ‘23) and serve as a member on the the Care & Conduct (‘23-24) and the DEIB Affinity Group (‘24-’25) committees. While engaging in these spaces, I have truly learned that professional development is a challenge by choice environment. These experiences have truly made an impact on me, both personally and professionally, and I can’t encourage others enough to get involved. I am a Southern California native and have lived on the East Coast for 8(ish) years. One thing I have come to appreciate about New England is the individual personality each state has, but how interconnected and united we are. Through personal and professional experiences I have seen that there is always an air of compassion and devotion to our peers. This is something that I always carry with me. Ultimately, as the Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont District Coordinator, I hope to help foster that environment and help create a great network of professionals within the district while fostering the fundamentals of learning and growth. Being a recent addition to the Saint Anselm team (and subsequently New Hampshire), I am eager to connect with peers in the area and I can’t think of a more perfect way. I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to represent the institutions within our district and continue to create opportunities for development! |
Shikha Shrestha (she/her)
 Current Professional Position: Current Institution: Previous Professional Position(s) Held & Location(s):
| To learn more about Shikha, see her Introduction Video! Candidate Statement: My name is Shikha Shrestha, and I work at Colby college in Maine. With a strong foundation in residential education and a deep commitment to student development, I am excited to apply for the NEACUHO District Coordinator position. My professional journey has provided me with extensive experience in student leadership development, crisis response, staff supervision, and strategic programming across diverse institutional contexts. I serve as the Assistant Director of Residential Education at Colby College, where I oversee the Hall Staff members (student staff), lead the coordinating and execution of staff training, supervise our ARD and CA staff, and coordinate key operational processes including room changes, key management, and safety protocols. I play an integral role in shaping the first-year experience, supporting student transitions through intentional programming, and managing a significant portion of our departmental budget. My approach is deeply grounded in values of communication, accountability, and inclusion—I strive to create environments where all staff feel safe, heard, and empowered to grow. I believe leadership means recognizing that everyone is on a learning curve, and it’s our job as supervisors and colleagues to create a space where people can thrive both personally and professionally. What grounds my leadership is a clear set of values that I bring to every team I work with. I believe in creating spaces where everyone is on a learning curve—where open communication, intentional boundary-setting, and a strong sense of accountability form the foundation for growth. As a supervisor, I work to ensure that my staff feel emotionally safe, culturally affirmed, and respected as individuals with unique identities and lived experiences. I strive to build teams that function not just as colleagues, but as reciprocal support systems—places where learning from each other is both expected and encouraged. Housing and residential life is a field that seems so similar yet so varied institution to institution. As professional staff members, the best resources we can find are our coworkers and peers. Through the lived experience of other members, we can learn how to be better and efficient ourselves. It is wise and important to create a trustable support system between institutions, where we reciprocate the help we get from someone else as well. Helping to foster and support this network will be one of my prime goals if selected for the District Coordinator position. I am eager about community-building and am energized by the prospect of engaging members across institutions—whether by organizing development opportunities, facilitating connection, or uplifting underrepresented voices within our field. I view the NEACUHO District Coordinator role as an opportunity to extend those values to a broader professional network, through fostering community, facilitating meaningful connections, and uplifting the voices of professionals at all levels. Whether through professional development, regional programming, or peer-to-peer networking, I believe strongly in NEACUHO’s mission to engage and empower our field. As a District Coordinator, I would bring both experience and enthusiasm to connecting members across institutions, amplifying best practices, and supporting ongoing learning and collaboration throughout our region. |