Lucas Butchko is the new Area Coordinator for the first-year area of the university. Butchko was hired at the end of May 2025, his first official day being July 1.
The reason that Butchko chose to apply to work at Lasell was that he and his partner wanted to live in a different area. Butchko had been living in Buffalo, N.Y., with his partner Bex.
They both have a lot of friends in the Boston area, so, to be closer to them and to go somewhere different, Butchko chose to apply for a job at Lasell University.
Butchko also enjoyed, “how much the local community is involved as well, learning about the Lasell Village and everything was interesting and exciting, you know, seeing that level of community interaction with the older community on campus.”
Butchko decided to apply for the Area Coordinator position because he had been a residential assistant in his college career.
He has worked in various roles across higher education, but he has felt a stronger draw to residential life. He decided it was time to go back to his roots.
When asked about whether he enjoys working with students and his resident assistants, Butchko said, “I do! I love working with students and being able to see students grow and develop throughout their time in college, and especially with first-years from when they walk in the doors at the beginning of the year to the end of their first year.”
While speaking, Butchko was very animated and passionate; anyone could tell that he was excited to be working with students in the AC position and was excited for all the new things to come.
Butchko implemented a program for RAs to do with their first-year residents, and that is to host or discuss an educational program for the students. “It is an opportunity for the RAs to teach [first-years] how Lasell operates, like registering for classes for the first time, discussing a social justice topic they may be interested in, or a general community education program …They’re doing great work.”
The job is one that is both demanding and rewarding. Butchko mentions that being a resident assistant or area coordinator is a job that is easy to get burned out with.
The job has a lot of long hours and logistics or strategies to ensure things go smoothly for residents. “It can be hard, living and working in the same place. It can be very tough to re-center yourself sometimes and remember why we’re doing the work we’re doing.”
Overall, Butchko has said that this job has been an incredible chance to live closer to friends, become involved in a community-based school like Lasell, and to enjoy student success and growth in both the resident assistants and residents on campus.
He offers a piece of advice to students looking to become RAs: “Getting involved on campus is really important. One of the biggest things RAs do is connect students with resources, so the more students are involved with on campus, the easier it is to become an RA because you have these involvements on campus…That’s usually very helpful.”
–Nov. 4, 2025–