In high school, I was one of those people who was involved with everything. I graduated with many clubs on my transcript and was a two-sport athlete. When I came to DeSales, however, I was not involved. At the beginning of my first semester, I had a lighter class load than most thanks to some transfer credits, no job, no sports team, and no clubs. Honestly, I was bored. I missed being involved and making a difference, so I began my journey to becoming an involved campus leader.

Step One: Get Involved!

For anyone hoping to be a college campus leader, my best advice is to become involved in as much as you can. Join clubs, go to meetings, and find out what you are passionate about. During the end of that first semester and the start of my second semester, I decided to join four different clubs. I became really interested and actively participated in two of the four.

Step Two: Talk to Other Leaders!

Starting in the fall, I befriended other campus leaders, including some peer mentors I knew, and learned about opportunities to become involved. After attending the DeSales First-Year Leadership Summit, I found myself interested in two leadership positions that I learned about during the weekend-long retreat. I applied, interviewed for, and thankfully obtained both positions. I began my sophomore year with two leadership positions, and my active involvement in College Against Cancer turned into an executive board position.

Step Three: Lead!

Leadership positions on campus, big or small, provide you with valuable skills. One of those valuable skills is learning to work with diverse teams. These teams can be comprised of individuals from different majors, states, and who hold differing opinions. Learning to communicate and work with others in team settings is an important quality that employers look for in potential candidates.

In addition to learning to work with others, you quickly learn time management and organizational skills. Having a leadership position can be time demanding. However, being able to handle an on-campus job or executive board position, along with the demands of being a full-time student, can greatly prepare you to handle the many responsibilities in the workplace after graduation.

Contrary to popular thought, being a campus leader isn’t about filling up your schedule with items that will make your resume look good. It's about learning how to impact other students on campus and the community around you. There is no better feeling than knowing you were able to help guide someone in the right direction or help plan a campus event.

Being a leader is more just a title, it is a privilege and a responsibility that will guide you towards becoming a better version of yourself.