The University of South Carolina’s Residence Hall Association (RHA) is celebrating multiple honors following the 2025 South Atlantic Affiliate of College & University Residence Halls (SAACURH) Regional Business Conference at Clemson University earlier this month.
RHA President Will Dorroh represented USC at the conference alongside fellow students Mark Mekhaeil, Peter Gargas and Mackenzie Patterson. They were joined by RHA advisor Dom Lynch.
Over the course of the weekend, Mekhaeil was named National Communications Coordinator of the Year. John Blue Barnett was also honored as Student of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Housing Officers, Dorroh received recognition for legislative work and USC won third place in the banners competition.
“Being able to bring these individual awards to represent our University and the amazing people we have in RHA is truly an unrivaled feeling and opportunity. Our organization has been through significant changes within the past few years and the past two years have felt like we have truly molded ourselves into one of the most impactful organizations on campus which is why it means so much to be recognized nationally and regionally,” Dorroh said.
These honors follow what marked a very successful year for RHA in 2024 as the most awarded residence hall association of the year. USC was awarded SAACURH School of the Year and Outstanding Advocacy Initiative, and nationally former president Claire Hains was named RHA President of the Year, Dorroh as Service Recipient of the Year and Mekhaeil for First-Year Experience of the Year.
At SAACURH’s fall conference, Blatt Bonanza was selected as the Program of the Year. The event also garnered national recognition as the Student-Driven Program of the Year, according to the Association of College Unions International.
“Ultimately these awards are only a fraction of the joy that being a part of RHA provides; the true accomplishments are seeing happy residents at events, progress on advocacy pieces, and developing future leaders through our organization,” Dorroh said. “As an executive board member for the past three years, it has been the best experience of my life to bring awards and recognition to the work done on this campus to improve the residential experience, and I cannot wait to see what all is accomplished within the next few years. I truly believe the best is yet to come.”
The Residence Hall Association serves as the governing body for residents and works with USC Housing to create programming and advocate for students living on campus. RHA consists of governments from the Columbia campus’ eight residential neighborhoods and an executive board.