In today’s competitive atmosphere, it’s no surprise that many students are trying to find ways to develop new skill sets to succeed. Especially in an environment like Waterloo, flooding with overachievers and innovators, students often find themselves searching for opportunities to help them stand out against others.
Emily Litster is no stranger to having a long list of achievements and involvements across campus. Emily is entering her fourth year studying Honours Religious Studies & Peace and Conflict Studies, and has taken on many roles throughout her academic career, many of which are related to leadership.
We’re lucky to have such cool opportunities on campus that allows us to get a taste of some of the skills that are so valuable in the 'real world.'
Emily has been heavily involved with the Student Leadership Program (SLP) since her second year at Waterloo. She started as a participant working towards earning the SLP Certificate, before becoming a certified facilitator of the workshops, and is currently taking on the role of Team Lead for the SLP team. The Student Leadership Program consists of a series of 12 interactive, experiential workshops that focus on discovering and enhancing each person’s own leadership capabilities, and learning how to apply this in their communities.
The growth that you experience from being both a participant and a facilitator of the SLP is unbelievable.
Apart from her extensive involvement with SLP, Emily has held a variety of other leadership positions across campus. Her favorite, she said, was being a Residence Don at St. Jerome’s University. This position was an experience like no other, and was an opportunity to put the skills she acquired through SLP into practice. Furthermore, she was able to share her experiences and knowledge with first-year students as they began their journey at Waterloo.
My greatest university memories have come from my interactions with different students across campus and those opportunities came from just simply getting involved.
When asked about how other students should get involved around campus, not only to enhance their resumes, but for personal growth and satisfaction, Emily suggested trying something new and to always be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. In addition, she suggests keeping an open mind and always being willing to share your own experiences with others.
Try something new. Step outside of your comfort zone and remember that there is learning to be done no matter who you meet or what you do!
If you’re interested in beginning (or continuing) your leadership journey, check out the Student Leadership Program page and join our mailing list to be notified when registration opens for workshops this fall.
