Dear Unconventional, Aspiring Student Leaders
(03/30/18 4:00am)
When I arrived on campus in 2014, I looked at student leadership and saw successes and failures, do’s and don’ts, pride and humility—but I did not see a mirror of myself. I knew that I embodied many of the dreams and made many of the mistakes that others made, but I couldn’t imagine someone like me—read: socially independent, first-generation-American, woman of color in STEM—leading others. It wasn’t until I was pushed by my village—my network of close and extended family, friends, and cheerleaders—when I finally realized how many peers had similar fears about leadership: daunted by the prospect of being the first while also under pressure to ensure we aren’t the last.