Let’s Get Social

And by social, I don't mean social media or parties. I'm talking about understanding how and why we work as a society, and the problems within the structure we've created. There are a lot of things that I've learned in my sociology class, but some of them that really stuck out to me were the …

College: Year IV – Part I

How did four years go by so fast? I feel like my freshman year was only yesterday, and now here I am watching all of my peers graduate (well, virtually anyway). Though I have an extra year, I know I'm not the only one; it makes me excited to know that I'll get to hang …

Maine: A Cool State with Cool People

This past summer, I had the pleasure of leading an alternative break that was based around the issue of environmental conservation. Being an outdoorsy girl myself, I was over-the-moon to be assigned this topic, since it's so close to my heart. I should have known what a great trip it would be, when I was …

YAYYYYYYY SAFARI!

When prepping for the 2018 Leadership Safari conference, I found myself using a LOT of glitter and feathers. I was the safari guide of team Parakeet, and to me, this was the perfect opportunity to make some really cool swag. I wanted to show my team that I was really excited to usher them into …

Capturing What Counts

In my first year as the CMU Leadership Institute event photographer, I got to see a lot of good moments. Students learning about themselves or the outside world, friends laughing and being silly together, mentors and mentees bonding for one of the first times, facilitators bringing the best out of their participants, speakers, and a …

Ties That Last – 2018 LEAD Team

I had the pleasure of helping to put on the Leadership Institute Alumni Dinner during homecoming week! To put this on, I worked with Kristina Slifco, Emily Wessel, Jenna Theisen, Jessi Repko, and even my mentee, Megan Argenta. A few weeks leading up to the event, we planned the dinner at Mountain Town Station & …

The Last Piece of the Puzzle – LDR 302

After four years of studying leadership, I finally completed the last part of my leadership minor: LDR 302 - Field Experience in Leadership. In this class, we each chose our own project where we were to create or participate in something that would improve on an organization or community through using our leadership skills that …

“And the Mentee of the Year Award goes to…” – Mentor Experience Reflection

I was sitting in my 2002 Saturn, cranking the air conditioning as I waited for her to get out of orientation. I could feel that familiar weight in my stomach from the nerves. Would she like me? Would I be too overbearing? Will she want to hang out? What if I'm too awkward? I was …

How God’s Plan Prepared Me to Be a Safari Guide – COM 461L Reflection

Last year, I didn't make it on the Leadership Safari Guide staff. I was upset, of course. I wracked my brain, wondering what I had or hadn't done to have not gotten a spot on staff. After some thought, I realized that there was more I could have done during training and I took that …

When “Willowing” Turns Into the Entire Tree Falling Down – a LEAD Team Reflection

Whenever we take a trip with LAS, we use the phrase, "just willow," to remind ourselves that not everything is going to go according to plan. We need to be flexible and just "go with the flow," like the branches of a willow tree do. However, this time, we didn't really get the chance to …