Anthony Hand Jr. wanted to be a cruise director when he grew up, but a different career found him instead.
In October, Hand was named Mercer University’s director of housing and residence life, overseeing all staffing, budgets, programming, training and facilities for almost 2,000 beds between the University’s Macon and Atlanta campuses.
After nearly a decade working in student housing, it’s a job he embraces and finds fulfillment in.
“Being a cruise ship director is all about giving to the people. It’s all about creating an experience for people,” he said. “In housing, I still get to do that. I’m truly creating an experience for the entire family that’s coming to drop off their son or daughter for the first time or for the fourth and last time.
“And the thing about being a housing director is, I can have really great relationships with the students. They truly drive what I do every day, so if I’m out of touch with them, then I feel like I’m not doing my job. My role is to be visible, to stay present with them and hear them for who they are and provide that world-class experience.”
Hand’s first introduction to the field of student housing was as an undergraduate student at Georgia Southwestern State University, where he worked as a desk assistant in the residence halls. He later became a resident assistant.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in drama, the GSW vice president of student affairs suggested he apply for a coordinator for residential education job that was open at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Hand initially told him no because that wasn’t what he wanted to do. Ultimately, he applied and got the job.
“I took that job, and that was pretty much like the pilot into housing for me,” he said. “I was really just discovering what my interests were, what I wanted to do, what committees I liked, what I didn’t like.”
From there, he went to the University of North Georgia, where he was coordinator of orientation and transition programs. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from Columbus State University, and after a brief stint as a middle school drama teacher, he arrived at Mercer as an area coordinator in 2022.
He quickly advanced to assistant director, interim associate director and now director. He was selected for the role after a nationwide search, following the departure of former director Jeff Takac in June. Carrie Bowen, assistant dean of students, served as interim director before Hand took over.
“Anthony’s passion for Mercer University, his solid understanding of housing and residence life programming, and the confidence that the residence life team expressed in his leadership set him apart from the competition,” said Dr. Doug Pearson, dean of students. “Most importantly for me, Anthony proved that he was not above rolling up his sleeves and putting in long hours to ensure that the residence halls were ready this fall. It was exactly that kind of passion that I was looking for in a director.”
Hand is active in his field on the state and national levels. He’s currently vice president of the Georgia Housing Officers executive board and will serve as president next year. He’s also pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Liberty University.
He said he enjoys the family-like atmosphere of the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
“Everyone can depend on each other, and the culture that is embedded in our office revolves around ensuring that our students are successful, ensuring that students are getting the things that they need and that their voices are being heard,” he said.
