Key Events

SGA Experience

My sophomore year of college, I had the opportunity to join SGA as a representative for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. In the position, I gained valuable experiences while I worked with other members of the SGA in order to create new legislation to improve the lives of the student body, especially those within my own college, and change preexisting policies to better reflect the current ideals of students. This was my first major leadership opportunity which allowed me to begin my collegiate leadership experience. I was very timid in my role initially, as I felt that I lacked the experience and knowledge of peers and I did not have as a clear of a focus or a voice of the impact and changes that I wanted to make. Some of the first projects that I began to work on were changing the parking meters to a fully card-based system and improving on open source education. Through these projects I was able to work in a smaller setting within groups and pairs which allowed me to find my voice and develop my collaborative leadership style. By developing bonds and relationships within a smaller setting, I was then able to be more confident speaking to the legislative body as a whole, voicing my own opinions, and speaking on behalf of others. A key theme which I learned and that I have carried with me throughout my collegiate experience, is the idea of validity and reassurance. I was able to become a better leader through the help of others who validated my thoughts even if I was unsure myself and would constantly reassure me that all ideas should be heard and have merit. Over time this allows an individual to reduce self-doubt and have confidence which then affects all aspects of their lives. I now try to do the same for others who are transitioning into a new role. By believing in others before they are ready to believe in themselves,  a welcoming environment is formed so that all members can be motivated, build up their confidence within and do their absolute best.

Hokie Ambassador

As a Hokie Ambassador, I am one of the first individuals that visitors get a chance to interact with. I provide tours to prospective students and families to share with them all that Tech has to offer and how they can each find their home here in various ways. Through the organization, I have been able to constantly look back on all the opportunities and experiences that I have had like studying abroad, research, Greek life, and service to name a few. A key leadership concept that I developed was the importance of reflection. By giving tours I am able have a greater understand of what the university has to offer and what students bring to really enrich Blacksburg and the community as a whole. I have the ability to continually self-reflect in a practical sense by making sure that I am giving visitors all the information they may need and keeping up a positive attitude, and reflection in more conceptual sense through building connections with the families and making sure that I am telling stories that will help better depict a authentic picture of what a college experience is like. This directly relates to the social change model through the idea of consciousness of self. By being aware of my beliefs and values, I am better able to translate that to others. Congruence has also been extremely developed through hokie ambassadors as I always strive to be genuine and honesty in all of my tours. I will use the leadership skills in the future as it has allowed me to build deeper and meaningful connections quicker. Through constant self-reflection, I am able to read a group a people quickly and understand what they value and then help them visual how they would grow into that role here. An example of how it could be useful is in the workforce. As a team leader I would be able to place people in the roles that best encompass their strengths and abilities, after only getting to know them for a very short period of time, so that the team could be as effective as possible.  

Building Manager

My leadership skills have also been greatly impacted through my job as a Building Manager at Squires Student Center here on campus. I began working at Squires the spring of my junior year and had a swift learning curve. While I have had various leadership positions through various organizations, in academic settings, and through clubs, I have not had a work leadership position. Additionally, in many cases students have worked in the building prior to becoming a building manager. With prior experiences I have mentioned, I was able to demonstrate my leadership style, how I handle conflict, what to do in difficult situations, and how to be in charge of peers effectively in order to compensate for what I lacked in direct experience. Throughout my training I became comfortable with completing all the tasks that needed to be down, but it was not until my first shift alone, which I was completely in charge of, that I began to realize the challenges that surround leading a group of peers especially those who have been at the job longer than I have. At first, I struggled to take on a more authoritative role, as my personal leadership style has always been more collaborative. Additionally throughout my organizations, my leadership has taken a more transformational approach as it is geared around service. When switching into an initially transactional form of leadership, I learned to balance being kind and friendly, while still being firm. One method I have really implemented is altering my approach depending on the individuals. With some individuals I have found it best to state exactly what needs to be done in a firm and clear manner, while with other individuals the best work results when including them in the decision-making process and allowing for discussion to occur. From my job I have grown into my leadership role and expanded my style to accommodate for change and more diverse situations. In the social change model, one of the C’s listed is change. I strongly believe that my adaptability not only to situations, but to people has been a central aspect of my leadership progression.

Chi Omega

In the spring of my junior year, I served as the Assistant New Member Educator for my sorority. I helped the transition of around sixty individuals new to Greek life understand the values, traditions, and rules of our organization while also ensuring that they forge new bonds while enjoying the benefits such as lifelong friendships and strong networking ability. As the assistant I filled in whenever needed and built connections with the women. This was to develop an open environment so that when issues or questions would arise, they would not hesitate to ask. I developed a greater understanding and appreciation of the process theory of leadership. The process theory asserts that leadership is not an inherit skill gifted to some and not others, but rather that through experiences and interactions, leadership is cultivated. Many of the women were freshman and sophomores who were seeking out opportunities for involvement within our organization or simply at the university and did not yet have many collegiate experiences. Along with other sorority members, we were able to help build a foundation for these women. This experience truly helped me to go back to the basics. After being within my sorority for years, I had built up these expectations and held them as common truths. I would find myself frustrated with members outside of my organization as well, if an individual had difficulty understanding or performing such tasks. When working with new members, I was then forced to slow down educate them on these same principles. This allowed me to view the change in the women as they slowly understand the goals we were striving towards as an organization. Simply by having then interact with other members who also saw the talents that they each brought to table, the women began to become more confident, find their voices, and find their roles. I realize that while some have an innate charisma that allows then to command an audience, others do not. This does not equate to individual being unable to lead, and in fact it forces then to work harder and be very intentional in goals they want to achieve. The process style of leadership changed the women I surround myself with, but more so: changed me.