Hunter Kellett
Hunter Kellett, a senior from San Diego majoring in public policy, management and planning, played an instrumental part in bringing the Pacific Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (PACURH) conference to USC this past fall.
Ever since he attended the 2005 conference at San Jose State, Kellett, a residential advisor (RA) in Fluor Tower, has been determined to hold the event at USC. After a two-year bidding process, Kellett’s goal was realized and USC hosted the PACURH conference for the first time in 12 years.
As conference chair, Kellett worked with a team of other RAs and University Residential Student Community (URSC) members to bring more than 400 West Coast student leaders to campus. Kellett's team organized opening and closing ceremonies, workshops, breakout sessions and housing arrangements for the three-day conference – and oversaw its $80,000 price tag.
"It was an amazing experience to show people, for a weekend, what it's like to be a Trojan,” says Kellett. “One of my favorite parts was showing off our school and all the great things we offer."
Carol Schmitz, director of residential communities, says the bid alone was especially noteworthy. "The theme was phenomenal and the bid was incredible," she says. "From the very beginning, this was a very significant effort."
In fact, a key corporate fundraising gift from Toyota totaling $28,000 drew national recognition. "There were schools calling from Georgia saying they had heard about (the donation)," Schmitz says.
Kellett said the conference's main goals were networking, swapping programming ideas and building spirit. The event, he says, brought "some of the most talented leaders on the Pacific coast all together in one place. It was great to share ideas and see that you're part of something greater."
With the conference over and the 160-plus-page wrap-up report filed, Kellett hasn't rested on his laurels. Instead, he has turned his attention toward the annual Relay for Life, as a team recruitment leader. "My focus this year," he says, "is to branch out into other parts of the community that haven't participated before." He also tutors students at a downtown teen center.
After graduating, he hopes to pursue a master's degree in public administration at a school on the East Coast.