Reflecting Back:
My experience with LeADERs
From a young age, I recognized that I had a passion for social justice and advocacy. In college, even though marketing was my focus, I knew I wanted to gain more knowledge and hands-on experience in public relations, DEI, and public service. The problem was that my course curriculum didn't offer those types of courses and I realized I wanted to achieve more than what was required of my degree.
I joined the LeADERs program during my Junior year because their core objectives aligned with my needs as a student. The program promoted my personal and professional success by rewarding exploration and high-impact learning courses and experiences. One of the many successes I had during my time with the LeADERS program was my development into a well-rounded individual, because of the experiences and knowledge I gained from my LeADERS courses. The program's requirements encouraged me to look for ways to expand and tie together all of my knowledge and experiences within the areas of leadership, e-portfolio, diversity, entrepreneurship, research, and service learning.
As mentioned previously, the lack of courses pertaining to DEI and public service within the business college was a significant challenge that I had to overcome throughout my LeADERS courses and related experiences. I overcame this obstacle by actively participating in extracurricular activities that gave me hands-on experience, fulfilling my aspirations. Completing the e-portfolio was another significant challenge I had to overcome to fulfill my LeADERS requirements. I struggled with compiling information and assignments from old classes, especially because we migrated from Blackboard to Canvas. I overcame this obstacle by using the resources I had available to me. Using Google Drive and ODU course catalogs, I was able to get enough content to create a website that best represents my time at ODU.
Looking Foward:
LeADERS' impact after graduation
After graduation, I want to continue to search for ways to make a positive impact on the lives of marginalized groups. I want to have a career that plays a part in amplifying the voice of members apart of underrepresented groups. Currently, my career goal is to secure a marketing or communications position in a non-profit organization that celebrates diversity and is focused on lessening the effects of discrimination against disadvantaged communities.
Being a part of the LeADERS program prepared me to achieve my goals after graduation by exposing me to different high-impact courses and experiences. The e-portfolio requirement made me realize the benefits of having a website that documents my experiences. The entrepreneurship requirement gave me the opportunity to actively practice problem-solving skills, which are highly sought-after skills in the business world. The leadership and diversity requirements increased my knowledge of business management and gave me a world perspective on the importance of understanding diversity.
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