Leadership

Identify one's own strengths and challenges as a leader and seek opportunities to develop leadership skills.

Graduate Student | As a graduate student, I have learned more about my strengths and weaknesses as a leader and how I can continue to be a better leader for myself and my students. I realize that I am an introvert and that I am somebody who likes to listen more than talk, which can be a strength in that I am somebody who can lead alongside others instead of leading above others.

Think critically, creatively, and imagine possibilities for solutions that do not currently exist or are not apparent.

Illinois State University | Summer Practicum, RSO Toolkit | For this project, I worked to create several different designs, layouts, and spaces where registered student organizations could go and find cohesive material pertaining to university organizations. I created handouts and presentations that included information about training, COVID-19 restrictions, hazing, diversity and inclusion, and more.

Compare and contrast appropriate leadership models to create organizational improvement.

Illinois State University | Summer Practicum, Leadership Identity Programs / Leadership Minors Benchmarking | This project was focused around benchmarking leadership programs that focused primarily on student's identities. I research 25 institutions similar to Illinois State University to find programs our leadership office could bring to campus. Additionally, I benchmarked leadership minors from the same 25 institutions to see how they were teaching leadership, and how we could possibly bring a minor to ISU.

Serve as a mentor or role model for others.

Graduate Student 2018-2020 | Throughout my different assistantships in graduate school, I have had many opportunities to serve as a mentor and role model for my students. I walked into every new experience hoping to build off of what I had learned from the last one, and this often meant how to approach and guide students in ways to help them open up to a new leader in their department. My favorite way to serve students is to find the balance between being their supervisor and also being their supportive friend. I find that when I am leading them and supporting them on the same level as them, as opposed to leading from above, they often open up more and seek that mentorship.

Use reflection to constantly evolve and incorporate one's authentic self into one's identity as a leader.

Graduate Student 2018-2020 | When I begin a new role, with students and with my supervisor, I make sure to have a conversation about reflection and critique. It is really important to me to have that once in a while so that I can reflect and make myself into a better student affairs professional and leader. With students especially, whether I have that critique and reflection or not throughout our time together, at the end of each semester I will hand out feedback sheets for them to fill out. These are done anonymously and I review them to see how I can improve for the next semester.

Give appropriate feedback to colleagues and students on skills they may seek to become more effective leaders.

Graduate Student 2018-2020 | Similarly to how I like to have regularly feedback, I also like to give my students feedback as well. I will create a feedback sheet (if one has not already been created by my department) and distribute it at the end of each semester. I like to explain that this is a great opportunity for students to look back on the semester and discuss what they are proud of, and what they believe they could have done better personally and professionally.

Coursework:

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