New dorm staff

What happens when 14 different countries live under the same roof? Memories, friendships, and a whole lot of unexpected moments. For Jonathan Mack, this is what makes dorm life special.

“My favorite thing is the kids, the students,” Mack said. “You have 32 different students from 14 different countries. It gives you a chance to really see how people from other countries live and how they make adjustments and balance their culture and American culture.”

​Living in a dorm filled with students from around the world means plenty of unforgettable stories. When asked what the funniest moment so far was, he didn’t hesitate: “Probably scaring Jonas,” Mack said. “Coming out of the dorm, I was so excited that I scared him, and then I was like, ‘Cool, chill.’ And then he just fell out laughing afterwards because it was different. He wasn’t expecting it.”

Mack also went to a boarding school for a year after graduating high school. His time at Fork Union Military Academy provided him with many experiences that help him understand the students in the dorm better.

After graduating Northeastern University, with a degree in sociology, he ended up working several jobs involving juvenile mental health, therapist, advisor and coach.
Because of this, Mack is more than just a worker in the dorm. His background, working in juvenile mental health and his own experience living in a boarding school, made Mack the perfect fit for his role in the dorm. More importantly, it gives him the chance to connect with the students on a more personal level. 

“I’m a voice of reason,” he said. “Because of my age, y’all kind of see me more as a parent than someone who can relate, but I can relate to your things. Some things I’ve experienced, I know how to help you get through. My experience, personal growth, and being a parent all help me guide students through life as a teenager.”

Mack knows what it’s like to be a student in a dorm environment because he’s been there before.  As a teenager, he was very involved in sports, always doing something. 
“I was a jock. I was an athlete,” he said. “I was constantly playing football, basketball, and running track. So this is a little different. Yes, we have some athletes here, but they’re not as competitive as the athletes I was around growing up.”

Outside of sports, he admitted he has a passion for musicals. “I love musicals,” he said. “Especially ‘Sound of Music’. Nobody expects that.”

Mack is a great addition to the dorm. He is someone anyone can talk to about anything and know he is going to listen and help. 

​The advice he gives after his own experiences is “that everybody comes from different cultures, different walks, different backgrounds; so be patient enough and be willing to listen and understand, because not everything is black and white.”

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