Crabtree Hall manager brings experience, passion

Crabtree Hall Manager Katie Bollig has a passion for people, and that is the main reason she has been involved in residence life since she was a sophomore.

Bollig came to UW-River Falls to visit her sister, and it did not take long for her to realize that this was the college for her. She applied at other universities, but she said that UWRF made her feel comfortable because the people are nice and she always had a good time.

As a sophomore, Bollig was a resident assistant (RA) at Hathorn Hall. At first she was reluctant to take on the duties of RA because she thought it would be too much work, but then she realized that it would be a great opportunity to meet a lot of people.

“That’s probably been the best ... the amount of people you meet through doing it,” Bollig said.

Bollig went on to become a RA at Parker Hall in her junior year. The following year as a senior, she applied for the hall manager position for Parker Hall and was accepted. Now, after years of experience in residence life, Bollig is finishing up her fifth year at UWRF, pursuing a double-major in business administration and organizational communication. At the same time, she is taking on the duties as hall manager for Crabtree Hall.

As a hall manager, Bollig’s primary duties include administrative issues of the hall, supervision of RAs and building a hall community “by offering a variety of events to enhance the out of classroom experience.” 

This year, Bollig has tried to take advantage of events on campus by making them known to residents in her hall. Residents have also had the opportunity to attend a Twins game, eat a late-night breakfast, clean up the Kinnickinnic River and play an 80-person game of capture the flag.

“I think, for the most part, residents enjoy what we plan, or that’s my hope,” Bollig said. “Because a lot of what we do is based on suggestions from residents.”

She also provides a “study bucks” program, which she uses as an incentive for students to study. Every time they are caught studying, residents get a study buck, which they can use to claim a prize at the end of the semester.

“She is very dedicated to her job, and she takes it very seriously,” Jade Spaeth, a freshman resident at Crabtree Hall, said.

Spaeth’s roommate has a similar opinion of Bollig.

“She is really strict, but she knows how to get her job done,” freshman Kala Pedersen said.

Outside of her duties as hall manager and a student, Bollig enjoys several other activities. She likes sports, her favorite being broomball. She enjoys reading non-fiction and playing cribbage and poker. She is also in the process of trying to learn how to skateboard.

After school, Bollig said she hopes to continue working with young people, especially college students. She is considering going to grad school for higher education administration and student affairs.

Kristie Feist, area coordinator for residence life, was one of the people responsible for hiring Bollig.

“Katie has proven herself to be an outstanding leader with dedication and passion for making things better for students who live on campus,” Feist said in an e-mail. “I can tell you that Katie is among the most talented, gifted and passionate students I have had the pleasure to work with.”