Meet Your Newest Neighbors: Sharina Hudson

A Glimpse into the Lives of EU’s Newest RDs

As I enter Sharina Hudson’s office in Walton 217, she welcomes me with passionate hand gestures and a bright smile. Hudson is the new Resident Director of Eagle Hall and serves as the new ACT 101 counselor, a program that helps students who are Pennsylvania residents with certain academic or financial needs.

As a Residence Director, Hudson’s motto is “every behavior has a context, and it’s my desire to love these students beyond their behavior.”  She is looking forward to building relationships with Eagle Hall residents and assisting the students in cultivatin positive hall representation and removing the negative labels that the hall has acquired in the past. Hudson states that in college, students grapple with identity and labels:  “When somebody puts a label on you, you do not have to respond to it. [However,] when you start to respond to it, it’s as if you are that label; then you feed into that stereotype.”  From her own life and professional experiences Hudson is aware of how a label can impact the way people are perceived. Therefore, she is determined to challenge the students on the labels they answer to, both individually and as a residence hall. Hudson has expressed this goal to the residents of Eagle Hall and thus far, the feedback to this challenge is positive. Some residents have already offered to help Hudson with shifting the representation of the hall. “I think they are up for the challenge; I have some strong students,” says Hudson.

Hudson has a passion for working with youth and young adults from ages 14-35: “I love to work with them, challenge them, and push them to think outside of the box.” This passion was cultivated while working as a Residence Director at Geneva College for a freshman female hall of 116 residents. Hudson has also had professional experience working in foster care for a few years in addition to interning at a drug and alcohol facility.  “I saw people from ages 12-60 plus …  so any way you can challenge them to cultivate themselves is a dynamic thing to do. This is one of the avenues where this passion comes from,” she says.

Hudson is married, an ordained minister, she doesn’t have a favorite color, and she prefers to wear jeans and t-shirts, though she can dress up when needed. Her hobbies include socializing with friends, singing, creating songs, miming, going for walks, and having good conversations. Aspects of her personality include being down-to-earth, honest, and nurturing. “I have learned the balance between soft love and tough love,” says Hudson. Tough love involves being strict while soft love is more sensitive, and Hudson knows how to balance both depending on the context and person as a whole.

Hudson is a beloved and engaged member of Eastern’s community. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at Eastern. She also served as a Resident Assistant for three years and was one of the founders for Precious Moments Christian Mime and Praise Dance Group. Then, she led “girl talk” discussions where young women would ask questions that were answered through Scripture and Hudson’s counseling skills. She was a part of Remnant step team and she sang with Angels of Harmony as well. Hudson was also a teacher’s assistant for INST 150 and an admissions tour guide. After graduating from Eastern, Hudson earned her master’s degree from Geneva in marriage and family counseling. Currently, Hudson is in a doctoral program at North Central University for a doctorate in marriage and family counseling, which will take five years to complete.

Hudson says she is here to do what the Lord is guiding her to do and she will be determining her purpose at Eastern through her position as a Residence Director and ACT 101 counselor. It is clear that Hudson is a do-er in many ways: as a Residence Director, as an ACT 101 counselor, as a doctoral student at North Central, and in her willingness to collectively assist residents with remodeling Eagle Hall’s representation. As a believer in Christ, Hudson strives to pursue God’s will. “When I left my last job to come here everything panned out in a way that speaks to Him saying, ‘This where I need you now; this is where I want you.’” All in all, Hudson is sure to provide a refreshing perspective to the EU community.