Some of us are called to be teachers and others doctors. Joey Foos, however, said that he is called to be a hall director.
Foos is the current hall director of Bergwall Hall. This is his second year as hall director at Taylor University.
Foos completed his undergraduate degree in History at Malone University, and his master’s in higher education and student development at Wheaton College. He came to the Lord during his time at Malone, and student development played a major role in his faith. His hall director also poured into him, and Foos wanted to do the same for others.
“I felt called because I felt like I would be good at doing what was done for me,” Foos said.
As a hall director, he is responsible for overseeing the Bergwall community, mentoring the PAs and DAs and making sure the standards of Taylor and the Life Together Covenant (LTC) are met.
Sophomore CJ Marshall, the PA on First Bergwall, expressed how Foos has helped him process what he is feeling and realise how he is a quiet leader who may not appear on the front lines.
“Through his leadership, that’s how he impacts and shapes the PA’s good leadership,” Marshall said.
Foos’ vision for Bergwall is for it to be both a strong community and a restful space.He wants Bergwall to be a place where people can invest in each other as well as be invested in. He does not see community as only the number of people you know or greet, but he also sees it as the people you spend time with in simple ways.
Sophomore Eryn Collard lives on the third floor of Bergwall. She said Foos is the reason Bergwall has a patio space with lights. She said it is a cool place to hang out.
Collard described Foos as someone who “tries to meet people where they are at.”
This year will be junior Autumn Kennedy’s, PA on Third Bergwall, third year in Bergwall. She said Foos is good at fostering community.
She said he encourages students to be intentional where they are, and community can extend beyond the dormitory.
“You’re not going to come here and pay and have community happen to you,” Kennedy said.
Although Foos has enjoyed his job and time at Taylor, there are still challenges he faces being hall director. One of these is learning how to divide his time.
Since he lives where he works, he often struggles to disengage and set boundaries.
He recognizes the need to protect his own space, but he also said:
“Selfcare can go too far and become selfish.”
He has been learning how to balance his desire to engage with Bergwall residents with the need to set healthy boundaries around his job.
The most rewarding part of this job for Foos is being able to help students during a time of great change in their life. He recognizes that people come into college at different stages of their life, and people want to see themselves grow and change in college.
“At the end of the day, getting to walk through those challenges and those obstacles that might be coming up, and see them come out a lot better on the other side (is what he finds rewarding),” Foos said.
Foos is excited to continue building community at Taylor. He likes to get to know new people. If you see him playing volleyball or just hanging out in the Bergwall Lobby, he would be happy to chat and get to know you. Not everyone may be called to be a hall director, but this is a role that Foos’ strengths and giftings flourish in so he can bless others around him.
