As the spring semester begins and we start getting back into the familiar swing of things, it may be time to consider how to become more involved on campus. Not only do leadership positions look great on a resume, whether for graduate school or a job application, but they also allow you to become more connected and integrated within SNU’s community. Fortunately, there are several leadership options available on campus, and applications will be due before you know it!
The leadership position most people are familiar with is Resident Advisor. As a Resident Advisor, you oversee a selection of students living in the dorms, trained and prepared to deal with any sort of resident emergency, or maybe just a resident who wants a safe space to talk. As an RA, you do resident rounds three times a week, where you check in on all your residents and see how they are doing, as well as sit at the desk on rotation from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The application process for RA is rigorous, involving the submission of a leadership application, an individual interview, and a group interview. This position also compensates you with a scholarship and a small monthly stipend. If you are interested and want to hear more about the position, make sure to stop by the RA Info Night on January 22 at 8:00 pm!
Junior RA of Snowbarger, Jacob Thornton, highly praises the RA role, stating, “I would definitely recommend that students apply for the RA position. It has allowed me to interact with residents that I probably wouldn’t have under other circumstances. It has also helped me in terms of exposing me to people from different walks of life, which broadens my perspective as a student here on campus.”
Other leadership positions include the Student Senate and SALT team. We have seen this team gradually grow and become more involved on campus, leading to the many great events that we saw last fall! If you are interested in helping to create and lead events on campus, this may be the perfect opportunity for you. According to Dr. Blair Spindle, there are several lead SALT positions, including SALT and Senate Chair (Student Body President), Social Life Lead, Community Relations Lead, Creative Lead, F.A.S.T. Lead (Finance, Accounting, Statistics, and Tracking), Sports and Rec Lead, and Student Chaplain Lead–providing opportunities for all forms of leadership! These positions require the submission of a leadership application as well as potential interviews if selected. As a lead, you are then able to interview and select the rest of the people for your team, who are also provided with a small compensation. In addition to this, there are also SALT Team Members, Class Senators, and Student Society Presidents. So even if you are not selected as a lead, you still have a chance to be on the SALT and Senate team!
Another leadership position is the editor of this very newspaper: The Echo. This is a highly competitive position as only one individual will be chosen as Editor-at-Large. This position requires 10 hours of work a week, monthly meetings, sharp editing skills, and precise writing abilities amongst other qualities. The Echo Editor will also be responsible for teaching the Newspaper Practicum class that takes place once a week. This position comes with a yearly stipend and great connections!
Some leadership positions involve being mentors to other students. A Student Support Services Peer Mentor (SSS) oversees a few students, typically freshmen, who are a part of SSS, as well as works weekly SSS hours in the Center for Student Success for a stipend. They get coffee with their mentees and are open to helping them in any way that they can throughout the year. For more information about SSS Peer Mentor and its qualifications, please email Angela Rhodes at arhodes@snu.edu. Next, a New Student Institute Mentor (NSI) is responsible for leading new students through NSI, as well as introducing them to campus and helping to answer questions throughout the year. While the NSI Mentor Position is volunteer, it is a great opportunity to connect with students and exercise your leadership skills. For this position, you will have to fill out the Leadership Launch application, as well as do a short individual and group interview, but many spots need to be filled, so don’t be afraid to give it a shot!
I encourage you to take the time to thoroughly read about each one of these positions to see which one may be fit for you! As a student who has applied for multiple positions, I would highly recommend starting on the Leadership Launch application ASAP! There are several open-ended questions that will take a significant amount of time to respond to thoughtfully. Additionally, I would advise saving your answers from the application on a Google Doc or Word document in case you decide to apply for another position or again another year. You will also need to submit your resume and two references with this application. If you want a good reference, make sure to email your professors about it soon. Finally, don’t be afraid to give the Leadership Launch a shot! Put yourself out there and try something new!
For more information about these positions, as well as a link to the Leadership Launch application, visit https://my.snu.edu/student-leadership/.
Photo by Katy Bradley