Today, I'm Tying Up Loose Ends

A Reflection on Student Leadership

After three years of holding student leadership positions, cleaning out my desk in the University Program Council office today was a sentimental task. Involvement opportunities at universities, I would argue, teach students as much or more than they can learn in the classroom. It is through leadership opportunities that students gain practical career experience.

My most valuable leadership development came from time on UPC. In two years, I had the opportunity to directly plan 20 community service events, oversee campus entertainment from concerts and comedians to our school’s homecoming, work with agents and contracts, manage a budget, and network with professionals in the community and throughout the university. These are skills my classmates didn’t have the opportunity to learn sitting in biology lecture.

So today, as I work on organizing binders and computer files to prepare future leadership for success, I offer a piece of advice particularly pertaining to those yet to enter college, but also relevant to those at any stage in life: explore opportunities and extend yourself past your comfort zone. I can confidently say that I feel three years ahead of the average student when it comes to preparedness for the workforce, and I owe it all to the unique experiences and inspiring mentors (both student and faculty) I’ve encountered through student leadership.