Finding Your BOLD

BOLD

Mary Baldwin programs empower students

Armed with a tape measure and white gloves, Colby Tietjens ’22 spent last semester amongst World War I uniforms, presidential campaign posters, books, and old letters. As a condition reporter for the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, he inspected each item, recorded the description and size, and assessed the artifact’s overall condition. He was even encouraged to research the items to learn more about their historical significance.

Tietjens had this opportunity thanks to MBU’s new preternship program, a year-long experience for first-year students. In exchange for a scholarship, students work with a professional — either at Mary Baldwin or in the local community — on a project that enhances the work of the professional’s department or organization. For Tietjens, who loves the World War I era, working with the artifacts was invaluable. He discovered more about a possible future career, and got to experience it as soon as he stepped on campus. “If you think about a four-year college education, the impactful experiences for students usually happen in their junior and senior years,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ty Buckman. “There has been a lot of research around the firstyear experience that shows it’s important to put students in early contact with these kinds of hands-on opportunities.”

Mary Baldwin is taking that research to heart. In addition to preternships, its companion program, the First-Year Research Awards (where faculty offer research experiences) and courses like BOLD 101 (Baldwin Opportunities for Leadership Development) are also available to provide real-world experiences, help narrow down career interests, and develop personal and professional skills.

“For first-year students, there are so many adjustments to university life,” says Christina Harrison, who serves as director of the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement and co-directs the preternship program with BOLD 101 professor and Director of MBU’s college-to-career center Nell Desmond. “It’s really ideal for students to immediately dive into one project that addresses and develops their skill areas.”

Those skills include time management, organization, and verbal and written communication, all of which translate to a student’s academic experiences at Mary Baldwin and later to their careers.

“Comfort isn’t going to get you anywhere. BOLD 101 gives you a chance to find out who you are and what you’re capable of doing.” – STEPHANIE LEE ’22

Last semester, Stephanie Lee ’22 and her BOLD 101 classmates put those skills to use when they put together a Campus Community Hour for students and professors to get to know one another. They divided into groups, each with a different responsibility, and relied heavily on teamwork and communication to pull off the event.

Experiences like this have made Lee go beyond her comfort zone. “Comfort isn’t going to get you anywhere,” she said. “BOLD 101 gives you a chance to find out who you are and what you’re capable of doing.”

That concept of self-discovery is a key component to BOLD 101. In addition to community trips, service and leadership opportunities, and the chance to organize events, they write journal reflections and passion project proposals.

“The class is helpful in walking students through a transition to college,” said Desmond. “They have the chance to discover and then develop their best selves by understanding their strengths and values, and becoming aware of their passions and goals.” (See sidebar for how BOLD 101 students use an assessment tool to identify their strengths.)

Whether it’s Lee creating a project proposal for a leadership symposium or Tietjens fostering his interest in history, preternship and BOLD 101 projects send a powerful message to prospective students: Mary Baldwin focuses on the potential of individuals and works to empower leaders — from the start of their college experience.

“We can’t overemphasize the importance of engaging students from the beginning,” Buckman said. “We want them excited about college, excited about research, and excited about career possibilities. The earlier they’re able to do that, the further they can go.”

HIDDEN POTENTIAL

An assessment tool helps students discover the strengths that make them unique

BOLD 101 professor Nell Desmond tells her students that to be good leaders and to serve others well they have to understand themselves first. It’s why the opening portion of her course is called Connecting to Self, and it’s why the first assignment she gives is creating an action plan for a specific semester goal.

This action plan is based on each student’s top five strengths, which they uncover using the CliftonStrengths assessment, a tool from Gallup used to help raise awareness of an individual’s talents and natural ways of successfully functioning in the world. Everyone from the Business Leaders LivingLearning Community to student employees at the Spencer Center to Bold 101 classes are reaping its benefits, and in large part due to the work of Associate Professor of Business Claire Kent.

Trained as a Gallup-certified strengths coach, Kent works with students and groups across the university, helping them understand the CliftonStrengths 34 talent themes. The tool ranks these themes for an individual, and shows how those themes can be turned into strengths. “There is great power in utilizing our talents and strengths,” Kent said. “People can be more successful when they’re working towards what they’re naturally talented in. And two people can be successful following two very different paths. I like that this tool acknowledges that.”