Leadership Praxis

Leadership in the classroom is theoretical, untouchable, an idea and nothing else. But leadership doesn't float through the air like some sort of aether wind. It is concrete in practice, demonstrated through words, decisions, and most importantly, actions. My skills in leadership have bloomed in situations when I have had to step up and become reliable, capable, and confident.

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When I became the President of CU Boulder's Senior Class Council (SCC), the student organization was unformed, unidentifiable, and unknown. If you think that building an organization from the ground up seems like a full-time job, you would be absolutely correct. Thus, I've spent this year attempting to figure out how to re-establish SCC while maintaining my role as Director of CORPS at PLC, and juggling 18 academic credits.

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The work that SCC does is integral to our campus and commencement. The council is charged with choosing a commencement speaker, organizing the senior class gift, and honoring seniors around campus through interactive, unifying, and creative events. The real responsibilities that SCC holds in regards to our campus graduation meant that we couldn't simply scrap the council and forget about it, no matter how much we wanted to after the fruitless recruitment attempts, confusing budget rules, and seemingly endless amounts of work. About a month into the school year, I realized I was completely in over my head and had overcommitted.

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But I've never been one to give up, especially when I've made a commitment to see something through. And eventually, with the help of my wonderful Vice President, Jacob Baca, and steadfast advisor, Britt Whitstine, I've begun to see the fruits of my labor pay off. For these past few months, I've learned the ins and outs of student organizations, more than I would have ever imagined about the intricacies of our campus budget, and best practices in re-organizing a group that was previously falling apart. We've hosted multiple successful events, including our first annual Pearl Street Senior Stroll, and have many more events to come.

 

I've been humbled by the number of simple questions I've had to ask. I've been tested in my ability to delegate. I've been challenged in time management, imposter syndrome, and general leadership capabilities.

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I couldn't be more proud of the work I've done for this organization- what started as a dreadful task has now become my pride and joy. It would be remiss to fail to acknowledge the incredible amount of work that has been done by my teammates, the patience of my mother (whom I called at every minor inconvenience or frustration), and the various buildings on campus that have let me use charging ports for hours and hours on end. My leadership skills have never been tested so heavily and never been developed so thoroughly as such. I cannot wait to wrap up my chapter as SCC President on stage during commencement as I attempt to provide even an ounce of the wisdom I've gathered in my meek 21 years on God's green earth.