Marissa Becker – Residential Director

Marissa currently serves as the Resident Director for the Southwest Area at Northwestern University. Prior to arriving at Northwestern, Marissa served as a Resident Director for three years at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! Born and raised in the Chicagoland suburbs, Marissa now calls home Villa Rica, Georgia, where her family relocated in 2014!

Marissa completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Eastern Illinois University where she discovered her passion for working alongside college students as a Resident Assistant. She completed her graduate degree in Student Affairs Administration at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse while also serving as an Assistant Hall Director. Marissa’s passion areas include college student mental health and well-being, crisis response and follow up, and working with first generation and low income students as well as students with various ability levels. She also enjoys strong cups of coffee, running alongside Lake Michigan, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family!

Jina Ballenger – Assistant Residential Director

Jina joined the Residential Life team in August 2019 and currently serves as the Assistant Resident Director for the North and South Mid-Quads. Originally from the west side of Chicago, she earned her B.A. in Television from Columbia College Chicago. Jina is currently a graduate student at Northwestern University, pursuing her M.S. in Leadership for Creative Enterprises. Prior to working at Northwestern, Jina served as a Resident Assistant, Student Ambassador/Tour Guide, and Orientation Leader for Columbia College.

In her spare time, you can find Jina screenwriting, songwriting, and listening to up-and-coming artists on Apple Music. She is excited to be a part of the Northwestern community and look forward to further exploring Evanston!