A new year, a new hall director.
Jacob Neu’s goal is to be a good role model for Wengatz Hall by fostering the community and culture of the building as well as growth for each person.
Another goal Neu has is for residents in Wengatz to hold each other accountable and spur on one another. One of Wengatz’s key verses this year is Hebrews 10:24, which talks about building each other up on loving others and doing good deeds.
Jacob Neu earned his undergraduate degree in Sports Management and his Master of Strategic Leadership from LeTourneau University. Now, he is serving Taylor University in his first year as the Wengatz Hall director.
The position is not his only connection to Taylor, however. Both of his parents studied at Taylor, and his younger sister, Ashley Neu, is a junior.
“She (Ashley) has told me a lot about Taylor, and what is involved here with the community, and the mission that’s being fulfilled here,” Neu said. “So, I drew my attention to the university as a whole, and also just the mission statement of developing servant leaders is a huge draw to why I want to be here. And with my undergrad and graduate work at LeTourneau University, I was able to further understand my love for being around college kids and helping in an environment similar to that.”
Another key verse for him is Psalm 13:31, which he encourages his residents to be together as one. Neu sees these two verses as an approach to keep the community growing.
He hopes to accomplish this with his personnel assistants (PA) and discipleship assistants (DA).
“I love supporting them and being a part of it,” Neu said. “Even just going back to the bike trip when we first got started, just getting to meet them all. They’re all unique in their own way and bring different talents to the team. It’s really exciting to continue to get to know all the students.”
Neu said that there are 276 students residing in Wengatz. One of the responsibilities he enjoys is remembering every single person’s name and getting to know them better. It has been a challenge, but he is looking forward to connecting with each of them.
Some of the Wengatz traditions Neu is looking forward to are Melon and Gourd, Wengatz Week and Wengatz Olympics close to the end of the year.
“My job involves getting to hang out with students,” Neu said. “That’s a huge bonus to being in higher (education). A lot of what I get to do is relational, and building on those relationships goes a long way.”
Neu said getting to know Taylor University’s culture and community is a challenge in his transition. However, he has enjoyed learning about the community through working with his PAs who have plenty of Taylor experience. By leaning on their experiences, he hopes to build a Christ-like experience.
Neu hopes to create a sense of spiritual accountability.
One solution he offers is the PAs and DAs being able to work with their respective wings. There are also several events on campus for spiritual accountability as well as wings having small groups.
“We’re (residence leaders) actually curious of ‘what’s God been teaching you recently?’ ‘What is something you have been learning?’ and ‘What is something I can learn’,” Neu said. “So, that’s one thing that I’ll continue to be asking people as I go throughout this job.”
Neu advised freshmen to get involved in major events and programs in the Taylor community.
His favorite form of involvement as a college undergraduate were intramurals. However, even if sports are not everyone’s preference, Neu suggests that there is something for each person to “get out of their comfort zone.”
As Christians, our calling is to grow together and stretch out of our comfort zones, he said.
“We’re like rubber bands, we are meant to be stretched,” Neu said. “So, I think that as humans, we should be continuing to get out of our comfort zones, so that way we can further impact the moment.”
Another piece of advice Neu offers to freshmen experiencing a rough transition or are feeling left out is to meet with either him or a PA. He said there is always a way to become connected to the community at Taylor or on their wing. For Wengatz and Taylor, Neu hopes to continue building a culture that welcomes everyone and gives a chance to each person.
Neu draws learning experiences from his graduate degree in Strategic Leadership from LeTourneau University. The skills that he developed involve having a plan and a mission for a Christ-following community, which he has the opportunity to implement as a hall director.
