Lipscomb housing director Asa Bailey leaves a lasting impact on students

Asa Bailey is preparing to leave Lipscomb after six years, but for many students, her impact goes far beyond her role.

After six years at Lipscomb University, Asa Bailey is preparing to move on. Known to many as the Residence Hall Director in Johnson and now as the Director of Housing and Residence Life, her role has grown over time.

Bailey stepped into the director role in spring 2024 after returning from Semester at Sea, an experience where she continued supporting students even abroad. What was once two positions is now one, reflecting both her leadership and the trust placed in her.

While titles matter, what stands out more is how she has shown up for students.

“Each year, I just reflect on, ‘What does it look like for me to do another year?’ There have been a lot of years where that decision has come very easy. I love Johnson, love this job, and there’s just so much potential here that I know I can lean into,” Bailey said.

This year, that reflection looked different.

“This year when I reflected on that, I, for the first time, kind of felt some pause and thought, ‘Okay, I feel like I have done a lot of good here. What could that potentially look like to go and live that out elsewhere?’” she said.

It doesn’t come from a lack of care. It comes after years of fully investing in a place and its people.

That investment is especially clear when Bailey talks about graduation, something that feels even more significant as it approaches.

“The moments that particularly tend to stand out to me are being a part of the support system that gets students across the stage who at one point weren’t sure they were going to see that day in many capacities, but especially as it relates to mental health challenges,” Bailey said. “So every single year, I always, always, always get emotional at graduation. During my first year, people were often like, ‘It’s your first one; it won’t happen again.’ And I have cried at every single one since because there are just special relationships each year.”

That kind of care is not something you can fake, and it’s not something that just comes with a title.

Her work with Resident Assistants and Residence Hall Directors reflects that same mindset.

“The work that I’ve gotten to do with RAs and RHDs, that is a big part of what keeps me going each year, is just like how much I love to pour into and care for the students and the staff that are taking care of others,” Bailey said

Now, Bailey is stepping into a new role in healthcare as a leadership training specialist, something that aligns closely with what she has already been doing here.

“I’m very, very passionate about leadership development, which is why I love what I do as a director, because I get to do that for RAs and RHDs,” she said. “Now I will get to do that for healthcare workers and clinicians.”

Even as she leaves, her focus stays the same: helping people grow.

“I just always wanted to let people know that you can do hard things, even when you’re scared. There’s so much power in believing in yourself,” Bailey said.

That message is something many students have experienced firsthand.

Ellie Heslon, a senior and Johnson RA remembers Bailey showing up when it mattered.

“When I had my solo art gallery, I was extremely nervous, but I invited a lot of my faculty and friends, and Asa was one of the people I invited, and I kind of assumed that she wouldn’t be able to go because she’s busy,” Heslon said. “But she showed up, and it was really sweet. She took one of my flyers to go, and it’s on the wall in her office, which I think is really precious.”

Lucas Collins, a senior and Highrise RA, says Bailey made him feel seen from the very beginning.

“My key memory of Asa is my birthday, freshman year, fall semester,” Collins said. “I was walking through the square, and she was a good distance away, and I heard ‘happy birthday,’ and she started singing, like, full chest across the square… and then she was like, ‘happy birthday, Lucas.’ That was one of my first interactions with her. It was so good for me, because it helped me feel so seen.”

Collins says that is what makes her such a strong leader.

“She is kind, personable, unshakeable and authentic in every moment,” Collins said.

For Heleena Kabtimer, that impact has come full circle.

Now the assistant director of the Office of Intercultural Development, Kabtimer first knew Bailey as her Residence Hall Director when she was a student at Lipscomb.

“I just moved in, and then I was excited that it was Asa, especially her being someone who looked like me in a position like that,” Kabtimer said. “And so it was very, very exciting.”

Over time, that relationship grew beyond the typical student-staff dynamic.

“I loved how our relationship has kind of grown or turned into something more mature and something more long-lasting… as opposed to just a staff and student relationship,” Kabtimer said.

Many who know Bailey also know her office couch, a place where conversations of all kinds happen.

“I have sat on the couch in her office too many times for good and bad things,” Kabtimer said. “She was always just there with an open heart and an open ear to listen to the silly things, the goofy things, the bad things, the happy things, all the things.”

She says Bailey’s ability to listen is what stands out the most.

“I don’t think anyone probably listens as deeply or as intently as Asa does… it’s not just listening to hear what you say, but listening to how you feel and how she can be there,” Kabtimer said.

As a senior, RA and Johnson resident for three years, knowing Bailey has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Lipscomb.

She has helped create friendships and a sense of belonging that might not have been possible if I had never become an RA.

While she is stepping into a new chapter, it’s clear that the impact she has made here will be something students carry with them long after she leaves.