From the class of 2019, PUC alumna Morgan (Bautista) Carpio accepted the position of the new women’s residence hall dean. When Gena Philpott, PUC executive director of student and spiritual life, called Morgan to return to her alma mater to fill her position as dean of Andre Hall, Morgan felt God was also calling her back. This opportunity came at the perfect time for Morgan. Graduating with a BS in Chemistry with a Biochemistry Emphasis and an AS in Health Sciences, she had been considering the move to be a college dean.

Morgan officially started her new role last quarter. “The best part about being a dean is the ability to form meaningful relationships with residents and support them as a whole,” she said. “It can be taxing at times, but it is always rewarding, and I truly enjoy getting to know residents on a deeper level.”

PUC is glad to have Morgan back on campus. She answered some questions to help us learn more about her. 

What are your biggest priorities for residence life this year? 

This year, I am mostly trying to learn past practices and make subtle necessary updates or changes to the dorm as they come up. Being visible, consistent, and supportive are some of my constant goals as a dean as well. 

How do you foster a community within your residence hall full of busy students? 

We have hall worship once a week that helps to bring our students together, but obviously not everyone’s schedules align with this time. We have been implementing a joint hall worship once a quarter as a “bigger” event to hopefully entice more residents to show up. In fact, we will be hosting a Galentine’s event with worship, activities, and snacks soon! I am also working on getting our rec room to be a more popular place to hang out and have pushed for our dorms to get YoutubeTV this year so residents can watch sports games and various movies/shows together. 

How do you work with your RAs to address student concerns? 

RAs have meetings with me every week and are also welcome to text/call me if there are urgent concerns. We share our experiences and help each other with any issues that might arise as well as follow up on how things are coming along. We also pray for our residents at each meeting. 

Is there a recent positive change or initiative within your dorm you’re excited about? 

Our Andre student dean, Paw, and I have been working to update previously less used spaces around our dorm. We have renovated two study areas, a prayer room, and our 

rec room to make them more inviting and easier to use. On top of that, we have tried to re-decorate our parlors a bit and re-organize storage rooms as well. 

What’s a fun tradition you wish your residence hall had? 

Traditions that I wish we had include more annual events (galentine’s friendsgiving, etc), dorm olympics, and other festive events that make our dorm feel more like home. I am definitely going to be working on these things! 

What advice do you have for new students transitioning to dorm life? 

Get involved! It can be daunting to be on your own, but when you go and do things then you will find the people that you enjoy being around then everything else will go a lot smoother. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Our res life team is here to support you in every way. 

What experience do you hope students will take away from their time living in this hall? 

I hope that students will experience Jesus in a personal way during their time living in Andre. Whether they witness him through the warm smile of a deskworker, through their time chatting with their RA during roomcheck, through a hall worship, or even just feeling safe in this space – I hope that every student can experience the love of Jesus here.

How do you think PUC is unique from other colleges and universities? 

I think of PUC as truly being a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16). Since returning, I have witnessed more involvement at all events, especially our worship events, which is a testament to PUC’s unique ability to foster spiritual growth on campus without forcing it on our students. It seems like more of our students actually want to be at PUC because they like it here and appreciate what we offer. From a residence life perspective, I think that PUC provides a safe, fun, and enriching dorm experience, where we know each and every student living in our dorms personally.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers community? 

I am still getting adjusted to finding my people (outside of the Andre Angels, of course), but I really enjoy supporting Pioneer sports games and attending worship services to feel connected. As a whole, PUC people support each other well, and everyone seems very nice and welcoming! 

Where is your favorite place to eat in the Napa Valley?

This is so hard to choose! A good recommendation would be Brasswood for their fresh mozzarella (iykyk), but their bakery is also a really great place to study. 

What would students be surprised to find out about you?

Most students are surprised by my major because I was pre-med as a PUC student, but now I’m in a completely different direction. Other surprising aspects might be that I was adopted at six months old, did hula/Tahitian dancing from age 4-16ish, and played volleyball and golf in high school.

How do you de-stress after a long day? 

SLEEP! Typically, when I have free time, I will either take a nap, watch TV, or play games. I try to throw in some outdoor walks if I feel energetic enough, too. 

Describe your perfect weekend at PUC. 

I would sleep in and make breakfast with an iced latte in hand. I might go up to McReynold’s area to walk our dog, Adia, while my husband plays disc golf. It would be great to play volleyball and/or games with others. I would also enjoy baking something to share 🙂