Student affairs professional share their stories about the LeaderShape Institute

LeaderShape believes that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner and it’s something that we talk about during our programs, like The LeaderShape Institute. Embracing this notion allows us all to acknowledge that not only do we have insights to share, but that we also have the capacity to learn from the experiences, points of view, and ideas of others.

This idea of holding oneself in both the teacher and the learner roles is one that we see in the field of student affairs as well. In fact, involvement in professional organizations like NASPA and attendance at professional conferences is just one way in which we can all be teachers and learners.

Given this common view of teaching and learning, it’s not much of a surprise when we hear that someone whose has participated in the Institute decides to go on to work in higher education. It’s always such a pleasure to hear their stories of discovery and we don’t want to keep those stories to ourselves. Here’s a look at some current and future higher education professionals and how their involvement with the Institute has made an impact.

Allie Colina serves as a Program Coordinator in the office of Campus Leadership & Involvement Center at Denison University. She will begin her master’s program in the fall. Institute participant 2014.

Gary Fleisner serves as the Program Coordinator for the Campus Leadership & Involvement Center at Denison University. Institute participant 2010, On Site Coordinator 2013, Program Coordinator 2015.

Lauren Tyger is a master’s student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program at The Ohio State University. Institute participant 2011, On Site Coordinator 2012, 2014.

Kristy Barngrover works as a Coordinator in New Student & Carolina Parent Programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Institute participant 2008, Cluster Facilitator 2014.

How did your experience at the Institute influence your decision to go into student affairs?
Allie: During LeaderShape I discovered that my passion and vision for the world is connected to emotional intelligence, vulnerability, mental health, and caring for others. During the week I learned that this passion also connects to my personality; the DiSC pattern that emerged from my evaluation was "Conscientiousness" and had many qualities of a counselor. I did not put two and two together until a year later. I was at a professional development workshop at an NACA conference and a Student Affairs professional sitting next to me said, "What you're really talking about here is Wellness." I didn't realize there was a whole division of student affairs dedicated to what I was passionate about. After some research I realized that I wanted to get a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs so that I could bring my vision to life. I want to work with college students daily, help them thrive in college, and help them discover the power of vulnerability. 

Gary: I would say that serving as the On Site Coordinator during my senior year at Denison really influenced my decision to pursue Student Affairs and higher education. In the OSC role I practiced servant leadership and was working behind the scenes to help provide the best LeaderShape experience my Co-OSC and I could for the Denison community. As the OSC, I was able to witness the growth, learning, and understanding of my fellow peers through the activities, dialogues, and shared experiences that occurred during the program. I was able to see the participants become better leaders, innovators, community builders, and change-makers from participating in the Institute. I found this experience extremely rewarding and fulfilling and decided that I wanted to create similar experiences like LeaderShape for college-aged students. Therefore I decided to pursue a career in student affairs.

In whatever position I have or institution I work for, I would like to be viewed as a leadership educator who encourages students to be life-long learners and change makers. Although I might not plan or create leadership development programs like LeaderShape as part of my job, I would like to help students become values based leaders who live with integrity and believe that anything is possible—an idea that relates to the mission of LeaderShape.

Lauren: I was the student who had never encountered much difference before college. Through my Sociology, Women’s Studies, and Queer Theory courses, I began to understand systemic issues of social justice, but it was not until the LeaderShape Institute that I was forced to consider my own position within systems of power-- these systems of power that I loved to hate in the comfort of my classroom, using big words like hegemonic ideologies, in order to feel more distant from the “problem”. It was through brave moments with my family cluster, late night debriefing after Star Power, and listening to the stories of my peers that I began to consider the impact of my identities and the ways that I navigated leadership.   

Looking back, it is easy for me to identify now the critical role that sociocultural conversations played in my own development as a college student. At the time, however, I just knew that I found so much meaning, purpose, and FUN in the conversations that I was having with my peers and facilitators regarding values, integrity, identity, and leadership. Through my experiences as an on-site coordinator as a sophomore and then senior, my interest in a career in student affairs was confirmed over and over again. It was such a privilege to be a part of the conversations with Faculty and Co-Lead Facilitators about how students were learning and sharing, and sometimes resisting or pushing back.

What particular part of your Institute experience is most meaningful to you?
Allie: The self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and core values activities were the most meaningful part of LeaderShape both for personal and professional reasons. The DiSC assessment, Johari Window, core value activities all gave me insights to my personality, my relationships to others, and my passions that I never knew before. This internal work couldn't have come at a better time. As a graduating senior, that self-reflection helped me to better understand my post-graduation future and what I wanted "to do with my life." Professionally, LeaderShape helped me become more self-aware and gave me the tools to better articulate my strengths and goals during interviews with potential employers. The holistic self-discovery that occurred at LeaderShape truly helped me learn who I really am and want to be.

Gary: I think the part of the week that is most meaningful to me was “Tomorrow’s Headlines.” Tomorrow’s Headlines occurs halfway through the week on Day 3. The theme for that day is “challenging what is and looking to what could be.” Throughout the day participants learn about possibility and work on creating a vision statement that contains a bold change for the future of their community or organization. The participants work on refining their vision and are asked to imagine a world after their vision came true. They then compose a newspaper headline and a story for the future that encompasses their vision. It was extremely challenging when I created a headline myself and had to think of what I cared about and what future I would like to see. However, it was extremely rewarding to see the final product and have something to strive to work towards after the Institute ended. These headlines and stories are placed all in one room and you spend about an hour walking around, reading, and commenting on the headlines. For me it was very inspiring to read everyone’s headlines and visions and understand what passions, hopes, and changes my peers had for the future. It was very motivating for me to read others’ visions and headlines that embraced a world of possibility and optimism.

Kristy: Day 5 is my favorite day and I especially love the core values session. For many students this is the first time they have really had to identify what their values are and think about if they are living their life in congruence with these values. As a student participant I recall feeling so connected with the five values I chose and later posted them in my residence hall room as a reminder to use them as a compass.

What idea or experience from the program will you carry with you as you work in the field of higher education?
Allie: All of it. The power of vulnerability. The power of self-reflection. Living your values daily. Making your vision a reality.

Kristy: One idea that has really stuck with me over the years is the sentiment that we are all teachers and we are all learners. It is a statement that is empowering and humbling at the same time. I know that no matter what title I hold or how many degrees I have hanging on my wall, I am always learning from the colleagues and students I engage with. It also reminds me that I should make my voice heard, because I have something to share as well. I’ve also really enjoyed talking with students about not only this concept, but also about what it means to live and lead with integrity. Having these conversations at LeaderShape has benefitted me when I challenge students to be accountable and live up to their values.

Lauren: The first activity that we did as a Family Cluster was to share our life story in five minutes using a marker and paper. I have done this activity several more times after Day 1 of LeaderShape, and each time I have learned something new about myself and those around me. There is so much vulnerability and power in communicating your story and making room for others to share their own. While I recognize that vulnerability has become quite the buzzword in student affairs, I think sometimes we lose sight of its value for our own benefit as professionals. We cannot forget to create inclusive spaces that welcome and value vulnerability, for students as well as for professionals. I think so much of what student affairs as a field does is create spaces for students to share their story, name their assumptions, find their passions, and make room for others do the same.  

Above all else, LeaderShape meant hope for positive social change to me as an undergraduate. I saw the potential that it had to influence the lives of individuals, collectively shape a community based on integrity and values, and create a culture of leadership on college campuses. The potential to create campus cultures, wherein leading with integrity and living in congruence with your values is the norm, is what motivates me to pursue a career in higher education and student affairs.

LeaderShape and NASPA announced a new partnership in October of 2014. Both organizations train and educate ethical leaders.