How An International Perspective Guides Sutton’s RA

Reported By: Sam Erickson

Photographed By: Yolanda Diaz

Everyone on the third floor of Sutton is settling down for the night, some in bed, others considering it. Everyone except Tony Katabarwa, the resident assistant (RA) of the floor. He is wide awake and looking for something to do.

He spots an unsuspecting resident with an Xbox about to go to bed. He boldly walks into the room and loudly declares “FIFA! Now!” starting a best-of-three series of video game soccer between RA and resident that woke up roommates and drew in a crowd from across the hall. 

Katabarwa was thrilled by this; connecting with people is his mission as an RA, a mission heavily influenced by his struggles connecting with his classmates during his first year at George Fox University (GFU). “Here, obviously the culture is different,” Katabarwa said. “People create that bubble, you can’t invade their space. But back home, it's super easy to come up and talk to someone.” 

The differences in culture led to a very isolated freshman year for Katabarwa. Katabarwa had only a few friends and, with English being his second language, the learning curve was almost too much to handle. However, Katabarwa’s RA kept him afloat. “Without him I don’t think I would have made it,” Katabarwa said. “He made it a home away from home. He was an international student too, so he made sure I had everything I needed.” He credits this relationship as a defining factor in his desire to become an RA. 

Katabarwa grew up in a village outside Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. He heard about GFU through his cousin, who graduated from GFU in 2015. Katabarwa was also a part of the Kittelson Charitable Foundation, which helps kids in Rwanda get access to quality education. He was quick to mention these connections as important influences on his journey to GFU.

“Just being new to a place, it's not going to be easy, as time goes by, just being outgoing makes a difference,” Katabarwa said. His floor this year has a pirate theme, which he hopes will encourage his residents to be adventurous and explore.

  “Be open minded and optimistic, whatever it is just try it out,” he said. “This is the last time in your life you have to be with friends that you’ll have forever, just enjoy it. Be a pirate, not the bad kind that plunder or stuff but the good kind that explore.” 

Katabarwa doesn’t know what the future holds for him. “I’m a business management major with a minor in communications, which is super broad,” he said. “I want to work for a while, then maybe start my own business, because then I can be my own boss, and I can give employment opportunities to people back home.” 

He doesn’t know if he will get to stay in the states, as it is difficult to get a work visa. He is hopeful, though, and wherever he goes, he knows now that in life, putting yourself out there is key. This is the very thing he instills in his residents. Whether he knows it or not, Tony Katabarwa is shaping a floor of adventurous and courageous people.