Image of Paoa Bentz.
Paoa Bentz is a senior at PSU, majoring in Business Management and Leadership. He has been working at Campus Rec for three and a half years and has been in his role as Student Coordinator since Fall 2021. In addition to his position as Student Coordinator, Paoa is a Photographer/Videographer on the Marketing team. In his free time he enjoys freelance photography, playing volleyball, golfing and traveling. Paoa is an avid sports fan and he loves that his roles at the Rec allow him to stay involved.
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Paoa decided to attend PSU because he was interested in the Business Program. His sister lives in Portland and it is not too far from home so when he visited the campus, he felt like it was the right place for him. Paoa became connected to Campus Rec in his initial role as a Basketball Referee. In Fall 2021 he became the Intramurals Student Coordinator, and in Winter 2022, he joined the Marketing team. He has always loved sports and has recently discovered his passion for photography. He began by taking photos at intramural events in hopes to get more people involved. After receiving positive feedback from participants, he noticed an increase in participation. Brittany, Campus Rec’s Senior Marketing and Communications Coordinator, reached out about joining her team and Paoa is now involved with photography and videography for all aspects of Campus Rec!
Paoa’s biggest takeaway from his time at Campus Rec has been learning leadership skills. As a Student Coordinator, he plays an integral role in the hiring process for new intramural staff, and facilitates and supports training. This experience has taught him how to be present and make connections. Paoa enjoys guiding, teaching and being there for others. Through all of his positions, he has embraced the versatility of each day and learned to problem-solve through each challenge that arises. He hopes to use these transferable skills in his future career and he plans to reach out to the network he has created here for support.
Paoa’s favorite part of his role is the connections and community he has built. He says, “Everyone at Campus Rec is so inviting and welcoming”. He emphasizes how prostaff and coworkers are always there for you, no matter what you may have going on. He has worked with his supervisor Easton, Campus Recreation’s Special Events and Intramural Sports Coordinator, since he began and he shares how important her support has been.
Paoa’s advice for fellow student employees is to, “Connect with people outside of your department”. He says it can be easy to stay within your designated team but, “Everyone is welcoming and they would love to meet you no matter where you work”. Paoa will be graduating this Spring and he will be very missed! We are excited to see what is next for him and we know it will be great.
Congratulations on graduation, Paoa! We appreciate all that you do for Campus Rec. Be sure to say hi to Paoa if you see him around.