Hali Bialeschki Finds the Fun in Every Day

With nine years of housing experience under her belt, Hali Bialeschki is charting new territory as one of Campus Advantage’s newest roles: Interim Regional Manager. In this hybrid position, Hali leverages her outgoing nature and love for student housing to ensure day-to-day operational success for her properties and make a difference in the lives of the residents that live there. Read on to learn more about what first attracted Hali to join Campus Advantage, what motivates her to come to work every day, and the tried-and-true recipe she always keeps on hand.

How long have you been with Campus Advantage?

In May, I will be with Campus Advantage for 5 years. I started off as the General Manager for 212 East, and was in that position for four and a half years or so. After that, I became Area Manager for the entire Arrimus portfolio, and then recently got promoted to Interim Regional Manager! Overall, I have been in housing for about 9 years.

Tell us a little bit about your current role.

Interim Regional Manager is a new position that was recently created by Campus Advantage to promote growth — to get people who aren’t necessarily ready for the Regional Manager position ready when the opportunity arises. It’s a hybrid role, so it’s both corporate and on-site. There’s so many things that it entails, but for the most part I oversee four properties in my region, focus on the day-to-day operation goals, and drive revenue and all the things.

What first attracted you to work for Campus Advantage?

I really liked how everybody was just a true team — more like a family. I love the fact they are very work/life balanced. That’s super important to me being a mom. Having kids that are involved in extracurricular activities, it’s important to be surrounded by people that support that. They see your professional side, but then they also care about your personal side as well. They have shown compassion, they celebrate everyone’s wins, and we also have a lot of fun — that’s what’s important. That means a lot to me.

Tell us a little bit about your professional background.

I have been in housing for about 9 years. I started off in conventional housing as a leasing agent and I just kind of worked my way up from there. Student housing is so fun. You have events where you get to meet so many different people — from the residents to their parents — and learn about the different cultures. ​​What’s really humbling to me is that I’ve had so many residents I’ve watched grow. They’ve come and they’ve stayed year after year until it was time for them to graduate. And I’m able to watch them grow in their professional and personal lives, and we still keep in contact till this day. If they have little brothers and sisters, they’ll come back and visit me on certain weekends, and if not, they’ll shoot me a text. Sometimes they call and just check in or let me know about their wins. So it’s very humbling to have that.

What does a typical day look like for you and your team?

They work their magic. They’re focused on their day-to-day operations, obviously. So leading their teams not just with that, but they’re also focused on driving traffic, pushing revenue, the financial side of things. They look over invoice coding. They’re doing reclasses and accruals to make sure things add up. ​​They’re working on turns. ​​They’re supporting other teammates. The list goes on and on, but they are definitely working magic.

What three words best describe you (inside or outside of work)?

Loyal, fun, and outgoing.

How would you describe the Campus Advantage culture?

Determined – They are always determined to innovate as a company. They’re trying to stay up to date with what other people are doing, and what we can do better.

Integrity – They just lead with integrity. ​​I mean, it’s the people we have at the top. They do have our best interests at heart, and it shows.

Fun – They’re always coming up with different resident life events for us to follow. So there’s always something going on, such as turn campaigns to get people involved and to stay active in different ways to do that.

What is one of your favorite moments with Campus Advantage so far?

I’ve watched so many of my colleagues grow, and the amount of people that pour into you or us as the people to continue to grow, and how dedicated they are to that process — that’s one of the best things. It’s why I am where I am today, because someone took the time to pour into me. They weren’t selfish. They never held back. They’re willing to teach and to show and to grow.

Which of Campus Advantage’s core values represents you best?

MOJO, I would say, because if you know me, I am just super fun. I’m very outspoken and I just love for everybody to laugh, smile, and have a good time. Obviously we do have work to do, but you can also have fun. The retention that we have among our communities and also among our tenured corporate employees, just not being so serious all the time and knowing that it’s OK to let your hair down sometimes and just go with it.

What motivates you to come to work every day?

My kids. Being a mom is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. They teach me new things and keep me on my toes. I have older kids now; one’s going to college next year. Just sitting down with them and their brilliant minds. I always think back to where I would be if I did not have them. They pushed me to be a better mom and a better person every day, because at the end of the day, I am setting an example for them.

Thinking about your most successful peers and teammates, what characteristics do they share?

I would say they’re all very passionate about their work, and it shows in their work. ​​It shows in their personalities. They’re always there when you need them, whether it’s a team message, a text, a call — they’re always there. And to me, that’s passion and dedication, too.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I enjoy baking. Baking is kind of a love language for me. Putting my heart into something and sometimes messing up a recipe but fixing it, and it just goes to show that what’s not broken can be fixed. ​​My favorite thing to bake is my grandma’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies. That’s something I always keep handy because you can never go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie.

If your life had a soundtrack, name some songs that would be on it?

Beyoncé’s “Run the World.” Being a woman in today’s society can sometimes be so stressful with all the things we face. At the end of the day, we are strong, we are tough, we’re resilient, and we always get the job done.