4 minute read
Learning Leadership Through Participation
Participation is one of the pillars of the McPherson College mission to develop whole persons. It’s an important piece of the equation because, through participation, students can learn valuable leadership lessons, according to two McPherson College student leaders.
“I learned how to balance wanting to please everyone and needing to do what had to get done,” said outgoing Student Government Association president Olivia Smith. “That’s a big life lesson because you can never make everyone happy. I’m glad I could learn that lesson in this environment. There have been so many leadership lessons that I would not have learned without being involved on campus.”
The Student Government Association (SGA) is the McPherson College student governing body. It serves students' needs, and the student body elects its o cers. O cers must maintain a 3.25 GPA, and senators must maintain a 3.0 GPA. It hosts the Light and Life student awards and Campus Blowout event. New leadership is elected each spring, and incoming o cers work with outgoing ones.
“I don’t have any experience with SGA,” said Taylor Bohannon, SGA president-elect. “Getting to work with Olivia has been extremely helpful. Her guidance and lessons on leadership have given me insight into what I will be doing next year. We will lead a young team, and she is OK with me bugging her next year if I have questions.”
The transition of leadership has valuable lessons, according to Smith and Bohannon.
“It’s been really special for me because I’ve known Taylor since she was a freshman and watched her grow as a leader,” Smith said. “I have a feeling she will do an even better job than me, and I hope I can give her what she needs to do that. A leader builds up the people around them, especially those who come after them.”
Having the support of Smith and other peers has helped Bohannon seek out more involvement on campus.
“McPherson College is a special place,” Bohannon said. “As a student, you see others like Olivia in unique leadership roles, and they encourage you to
get involved. The older students are very supportive and look for potential in younger students and will let them know they would be good in di erent areas. It’s one thing to hear that from a professor, but it makes a di erence when you hear it from another student.”
While both will have led SGA, each has had other unique leadership roles on campus that have been valuable learning experiences. Smith majored in biochemistry, was a lab assistant, and taught organic chemistry labs during Professor Manjula Koralegedara's sabbatical last spring.
“The breadth of opportunities exists if you seek them out,” Smith said. “Everyone is willing to help you. The faculty and sta provided great mentorship and helped me develop as a leader. Teaching was not something I thought I could do, but it taught me how to interact with my peers on a professional level and how to adapt to di erent learning styles. Going into academia was not something I thought to pursue, but now I see it could be an option.”
Bohannon had a similar experience on the women’s basketball team. She was recruited to play and did for two years before becoming a student
assistant for the Bulldogs. This past season she coached the junior varsity squad. The experience fits nicely into her plans of possibly teaching biology and coaching.
“Even though this is a small college, there are a variety of opportunities for involvement and to practice leadership skills,” Bohannon said. “Being able to coach people my age helped me develop tangible skills that I can use later on if I decide to continue coaching or in other leadership roles.”
But campus involvement isn’t the only way to build leadership skills, according to Bohannon.
“Another way we benefit is getting to know our professors and sta at the college,” she said. “Building relationships with people that will guide your life for the next four years and beyond is important. I would encourage students to take advantage of all the opportunities to practice leadership. Find something that interests you and know it’s
OK to move on if it doesn’t work out. Something will stick that you hadn’t even considered before.”
“There are opportunities to lead even in the classroom,” Smith added. “Being the one asking the questions, getting the conversation startedthat’s leading. We have incredible opportunities to have one-on-one conversations with our professors in class. The best advice I have for other students at McPherson College is not to be afraid to put yourself out there. My college experience and life have been so much fuller and more well-rounded from getting involved.”
