She says, “I believe that effective communication is at the core of leadership…The ability to interact effectively with others may be the difference between success and failure in your work and personal life.” Monica Cepero (Beta Eta, Florida State University) is the newly appointed county administrator of Broward County in Florida, effective March 2022; she explains why she was excited to connect with collegiate members: “It is our responsibility to give back and keep supporting and providing opportunities to others. After all, had others not taken a chance on me and provided me with opportunities, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
A FEW CAPSTONE PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS
SARA HORVATH
GIGI KERBER
COURTNEY IGBOOGBONNA
CHRISTIN SPENCER
DIANE BOONE
MONICA CEPERO
JENNA LEE RAMSAY
And the experience gave back to our volunteers as well. “It has been very rewarding to connect and learn from the other executive mentors,” Monica shares. “It further demonstrates that learning is a lifelong journey, and I have learned from my counterparts in other disciplines and lines of work.” This mirrors the advice she shared with collegians: “Remember to never stop learning!” “An ‘aha’ moment occurred during the first session when I experienced that feeling of sisterhood that I had discovered so many years ago as a collegian,” Diane recalls. “I felt the bond of sisterhood transcend chapters and years, even though I did not know any of these sisters prior to the program. That was when I knew that this was so much more than just mentoring for me.” Each Capstone session followed a similar framework: • Warm-up activity and introduction of session competencies • Panel discussion with executive mentors sharing real-life examples of living out competencies in their career and outside of work • Small group breakouts for discussion and interactive activities to grow leadership skills • Closing with “career stallers and stoppers” to highlight the importance of developing competencies to avoid missteps in their jobs or leadership roles • Post-session work assigned to continue practicing skills and reflecting on the life participants aspire to have
Through their participation in the program, collegiate members took away valuable lessons that they’ll carry with them after they graduate, whether that’s into a professional role or as a leader in their communities and volunteer organizations. Sara says that before the program, she hadn’t thought about what kind of work environment she THE LYRE
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