Leadership
The goal of the leadership competency according to the Honors Program is that, upon graduation, honors students will have demonstrated the ability to utilize personal leadership values and guide groups toward a common goal.
Leadership is a very personal term that I have developed throughout my time at MSU. In my first year, I acknowledged my preference to be a leader by example and tended to be more of an introvert. In the Honors First Year Experience class, we explored the 3 competency areas in the program which are leadership, research and global citizenship. We did this through self-reflective quizzes, class discussions, student panels and essays. After taking the StrengthsFinder quiz and discussing introversion and extroversion leadership styles in class, I identified myself as an introverted leader that preferred to plan and learn about any aspects that would affect the environment that I may hold a leadership role in. This early identification of my leadership preferences allowed me to work better in group settings when working on a team of leaders to conduct the orientation programs for incoming students to MSU.
My role as an Orientation Peer Assistant (OPA) approaching my sophomore and junior years allowed me to observe and experiment with how I can take a leadership role on a team of leaders with various strengths that allow the group to serve others efficiently. In my first year as an OPA I was a very vocal and social member of the team. This allowed me to connect with more students throughout orientation sessions and promote a positive image of the university. After each session my introverted self needed time to recharge before greeting the next group of students. My second year in the role allowed me to focus more on the strengths of my teammates who thrived in the social roles and to personally handle more planning and coordinating of activities of which I preferred. The extended amount of time in the role allowed me to take the time to observe leadership approaches of my peers and find my own place in the group.
This comfortability I found with recognizing that observing a situation instead of jumping to the visible leader role aided me in my experience volunteering abroad in a Guatemalan orphanage where I had ample time to observe and reflect on my values and style. When living in a new cultural environment with new social expectations, each comparison made to my life in the United States allowed me to better identify why I value what I do. After observing two leadership styles in the orphanage where the nursery staff modeled delegative leadership with division of daily tasks and an authoritative approach taken by the director, I found that my value of being an authentic or democratic leader because I value input from group members and leading by example. I value making students, peers, group members feel that they belong to a community, a group that values them and what they can contribute to a common purpose.
I brought this sense of belonging to my home visits in my role of Ready 2 Learn (R2L) tutor for Mankato’s YWCA program. Each lesson I had a goal of establishing common ground between my student and myself as well as helping him see that I valued his participation in activities and lessons. I strived to forge a connection and create a learning environment that encouraged curiosity and enjoyment in the learning process. I hope to foster this same learning environment as I get closer to leading my own math classroom. My time at MSU has brought me from a student who wanted to lead her peers by example to and introverted leader that values group strengths, preferences, and a sense of community in teams and classrooms that I will continue to lead.
My role as an Orientation Peer Assistant (OPA) approaching my sophomore and junior years allowed me to observe and experiment with how I can take a leadership role on a team of leaders with various strengths that allow the group to serve others efficiently. In my first year as an OPA I was a very vocal and social member of the team. This allowed me to connect with more students throughout orientation sessions and promote a positive image of the university. After each session my introverted self needed time to recharge before greeting the next group of students. My second year in the role allowed me to focus more on the strengths of my teammates who thrived in the social roles and to personally handle more planning and coordinating of activities of which I preferred. The extended amount of time in the role allowed me to take the time to observe leadership approaches of my peers and find my own place in the group.
This comfortability I found with recognizing that observing a situation instead of jumping to the visible leader role aided me in my experience volunteering abroad in a Guatemalan orphanage where I had ample time to observe and reflect on my values and style. When living in a new cultural environment with new social expectations, each comparison made to my life in the United States allowed me to better identify why I value what I do. After observing two leadership styles in the orphanage where the nursery staff modeled delegative leadership with division of daily tasks and an authoritative approach taken by the director, I found that my value of being an authentic or democratic leader because I value input from group members and leading by example. I value making students, peers, group members feel that they belong to a community, a group that values them and what they can contribute to a common purpose.
I brought this sense of belonging to my home visits in my role of Ready 2 Learn (R2L) tutor for Mankato’s YWCA program. Each lesson I had a goal of establishing common ground between my student and myself as well as helping him see that I valued his participation in activities and lessons. I strived to forge a connection and create a learning environment that encouraged curiosity and enjoyment in the learning process. I hope to foster this same learning environment as I get closer to leading my own math classroom. My time at MSU has brought me from a student who wanted to lead her peers by example to and introverted leader that values group strengths, preferences, and a sense of community in teams and classrooms that I will continue to lead.
YWCA Ready 2Learn (R2L)
Leadership: Values ~ Level 4
Leadership: Values ~ Level 4
Guatemala Leadership Development
Leadership: Values ~ Levels 2-3
Leadership: Values ~ Levels 2-3
FYEX Leadership Exploration
Leadership: Values & Teams ~ Level 1
Leadership: Values & Teams ~ Level 1