By Madison Thieman, Video Editor, @Madison Thieman
This story was originally written for, and published in, the St. Bonaventure University First-Year Experience Parents Newsletter.
St Bonaventure University faculty and staff constantly bustle around campus developing new ideas and teaching strategies. So, it’s not a surprise that a leadership program is being instated.
“(The program) is a collaboration of several offices and departments: the Leadership Center, the Career and Professional Readiness Center, University Ministries, the Damietta Center, ROTC and the Center of Community Engagement,” said Steve Kuchera, assistant director of the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership (CARL).
Each year, University 101 instructors will nominate freshman students for program entry. Kuchera said potential students must show an interest in leadership, demonstrate respectfulness to peers and have a good attendance record.
The admitted students will be expected to participate in leadership programs.
“Students will be doing a different workshop once a month,” said Courtney Kempski, CARL’s graduate assistant.
The different workshops include: an evening at the friary, an exotic meal at the Damietta Center, an interview stream to build job preparedness and a jeopardy board game on wellness. Kempski said community service initiatives and other workshop opportunities are being discussed.
“I am most excited to have a meal at the friary,” said Ryan McDonough, a leadership program participant. “They have their own personal chef! Also, the friars are some of the coolest people on campus. Great food, awesome people, can’t get much better!”
Students will be broken up into groups of six and have a leadership mentor. Kuchera believes small group interaction will benefit the participants.
“(The students) won’t just be going to a speaker,”said Kuchera. “They’ll be fully engaged and active during the workshops.”
After students complete the program and get their certificate, they can apply to be mentors the following year
“I see the upperclass leaders around campus everyday, and I want nothing more than to be like them when I’m an upperclassman,” said McDonough, a freshman journalism and mass communication major. “On a much larger scale, I want to learn to utilize what I learn from this program and become a leader off campus after my time at SBU.”
The students will also have potential job/academic references available upon request.
“The program will prepare (students) to serve as leaders here on St. Bonaventure campus,” said Kuchera. “At the final ceremony, students will be defining what being a leader at St. Bonaventure means to them.”
intrepidsbu.com 