Hi, my name is Emma Schroeder and I’ve completed my 3B term of Kinesiology, with a minor in rehabilitation. I’m the Student Leadership Program Assistant here at the Student Success Office. As a co-op student, I feel very fortunate to help run the Student Leadership Program. Although I am working in the background to ensure that workshops run smoothly, I still receive a lot of positive feedback from students. This is rewarding to me because I am able to make a difference in students’ professional development and help my peers reach their full potential.
There are 12 workshops to complete the Student Leadership Program and gain the e-certificate. Some of the topics include succession planning, presentation skills, creativity and running an effective meeting. This program runs all year round, which makes it very accessible to students. The Student Leadership Program workshops have so much thought-provoking information and activities that allow students to reach their full potential in the classroom and in their personal lives.
I have heard a lot of positive feedback about the Student Leadership Program workshops from participants; a few words stood out to me that made me happy to be a part of the Student Leadership Program.
A participant named Ariel said, “Since I started attending the workshops two months ago, I have noticed an increase in my confidence, effectiveness in communicating information to people, and willingness to take initiative. A few people have even complimented me on it.”
Another student named Maddy said, “It is a great opportunity to exchange thoughts, ideas and information with a diverse group of individuals, whom I would have never connected with otherwise. The workshops are engaging, and filled with discussions that offer insightful new perspectives on relevant leadership topics. I am a better leader because of the Student Leadership Program!”
I love that I can help make sure students, both undergraduate and graduate, are able to learn all about what makes a great leader. I have attended the Conflict Management workshop myself and learned about what my conflict management style is and how to deal with conflict in a group environment. Taking part in a workshop allowed me to appreciate what I do even more when prepping and setting up the learning space.
I think that this co-op position has definitely helped me grow as a person. Throughout my co-op, I have also had to edit a lot of the workshop material and even from just editing, I am able to learn and apply content from the workshops while working in this position - whether it is motivating my team member to complete a task or communicating well with my supervisor. My confidence level has improved overall and I am continually asking for more responsibilities because I feel I am able to handle more duties. Learning about different aspects of being a leader has encouraged me to be more excited about professional development and I am eager to participate in more Student Leadership Program workshops in the next few terms and learn the material from a participant view, instead of learning it through editing.
The Student Leadership Program is a growing community and is promoted by word of mouth, through students and facilitators who have learned a lot of from every workshop. It is remarkable how much the program has grown because of this great community of leaders. Every person I meet is very passionate about helping students and developing further as a leader. I think that having such a positive staff to facilitate students creates a fun environment to learn. Because our Student Leadership Program facilitators and coordinator are so positive and excited about the material they are teaching, their commitment to the students really shines. Being a part of this group has really made my co-op term special.
