Abby St. Martin

How did you get involved in campus life? What adviceĀ would you give to students who havenā€™t yet found their place on campus?
I first got involved with campus life by going to the Club Kickoff outside the Student Center. This gave me the opportunity to explore all the different areas in which I could get involved. Having the chance to talk to current students allowed me to ask questions and find my passion. If you havenā€™t found your ā€œpeople/placeā€ on campus, continue to join other clubs or organizations because you never know where your passion lies until you try it.

How do you think youā€™ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change?
Being heavily involved as a leader on campus allowed me to grow in many different aspects. Through being a captain of the , I learned how to better communicate and work as a team. As an Orientation Leader, I grew my public speaking skills and collaborated with many different students. These are just a few examples of how my leadership grew throughout my time at WSU. Collaborating with my peers and team leaders significantly shaped my leadership style by teaching me the value of active listening, open communication, and diverse perspectives. Through teamwork and mentorship, I learned to delegate effectively, adapt to changes, and foster a positive, inclusive environment. These experiences helped me develop a more empathetic and collaborative leadership approach.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned when it comes to leadership?
The biggest lesson I have learned when it comes to leadership is the importance of adaptability and active listening. Being open to feedback and different perspectives has helped me make more informed decisions and better support my team/organizations/clubs. I’ve realized that effective leadership is not just about guiding others but also about fostering collaboration and continuous learning.Ā 

What would you say has been your best experience here at WSU?
It is hard for me to pick a singular experience at WSU. I have found that one experience has led me to another experience that I have taken the opportunity to be a part of. Coming in as a freshman playing basketball was the beginning of my entire involvement at WSU. Having teammates and coaches encouraging me to try new opportunities gave me the confidence to join other leadership positions on campus.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
My advice to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader they hope to become is that you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and try new experiences. Take every opportunity as a way to explore how you want to collaborate with others, listen to diverse perspectives, and learn from successes and failures/challenges. However, it is important to lead how you feel most comfortable and be authentic to yourself. Everyone leads differently so do not compare.

What are your current plans for the next few years?
After graduation in May, I intend to go to another university for an accelerated nursing program which takes about 16 months to complete. After completing that I plan on becoming a travel nurse and begin my healthcare journey!

The post Student Spotlight | Abby St. Martin appeared first on Campus Life.

Class of 2023, Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health Services, minor in Public Health
Hometown | Shrewsbury, MA
Campus Involvement | Student Senate, Women’s Cross Country Team, Women’s Track Team, 2023 Class Committee, Resident Assistant, Circles of Leadership, Orientation Leader

Erica Hanlon, SGA President

Can you describe the role of the SGA President? What do they do for the student body
The SGA President collaborates with the student senate and the rest of the student body to represent our student population and advocate for student needs. The SGA President attends various meetings with administration, alumni, and students to be a voice for the student body.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position?
One of my goals is to add a new aspect to the student senate in which each senator will have a focus group on campus to receive feedback from and offer support to. Another goal I have is to increase community outreach through creating opportunities for students to donate to and support the greater Worcester area. Overall, I aim to be an approachable and helpful person for all WSU students.

What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position?
A challenge I foresee in this position is not being able to please everyone, as there will be many different opinions among our student body, and I will need to do my best to represent as many students as possible as well as my own beliefs.

At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you?
At the end of the year, I hope my fellow students will remember me as someone who was genuine, welcoming, helpful, and action-oriented.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
My key piece of advice is to push yourself to follow what interests you regardless of anyone elseā€™s opinion. If you are thinking about trying something new or stepping up to be in a leadership position, just try for it! No one is judging you and any endeavor for your own personal growth is well worth any potential nerves.

What are your current plans for the next few years?
After graduation, I hope to work as a Resident Director at a university while taking graduate classes for my Masterā€™s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I also hope to adopt a dog and travel

The post Meet Erica Hanlon, SGA President appeared first on Campus Life.

How do you think you’ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change?

ā€œI think the biggest change Iā€™ve had as a leader was learning more about what being a leader means and the thought and care that goes into that. Going to events like the Leadership Symposium really helped me recognize that there were so many things to learn and improve upon in my role as a leader and that applying the things you learn takes patience, practice, trial and error and commitment to see that change really take place.ā€

What is the biggest lesson you learned when it comes to leadership?

ā€œThe biggest lesson I learned with leadership is that a good leader really isnā€™t someone who directs other people to do something – I learned that a good leader is someone who instead empowers others to be able to do the things they want to.ā€

What is your definition of a great leader?

ā€œA great leader is someone who is themselves and inspires others to be themselves too, united in a common goal of some kind, pushing each other to be the best they can be along the way.ā€

What do you feel is one of the biggest misconceptions of what makes a good leader?

ā€œI feel as though one of the biggest misconceptions of what makes a good leader is probably prior experience. I think a lot of people assume that leaders on campus just have always been so good at what they do and I think itā€™s important to realize that everybody starts out at square one! Anybody can be a leader if they put their mind to it.ā€

What would you say was your best experience here at WSU?

ā€œThere are too many to count – Many great experiences with friends in Dowden hall, going to Root & Press with friends, going to various events on campus, running at Regionals with the XC team, Fresh Check Day, Campus Clean Up day, CLEWS events, my classes – honestly all these things pale in comparison to a meal at the Pod with my friends though.ā€Ā 

What was your most meaningful experience while at WSU?

ā€œItā€™s tough to pick my most meaningful experience at WSU – Iā€™ve certainly had many opportunities to be around people that helped me learn a lot about the world – Iā€™d say that my most meaningful experiences had to be interacting with the men from the Hector Reyes house through the events I did with the CLEWS organization. Hector Reyes house is a rehab home of sorts for men who are recovering addicts. A good portion of these men were previously incarcerated as well. Hearing these men tell their stories and interacting with some of them just really made a big impact on me. Additionally, there was a CLEWS speaker who was a former prostitute who spoke about her struggles and trauma that also was extremely eye-opening to me. Lastly, TWAā€™s Poetry Slam last spring was also a very meaningful experience to be an observer for.ā€

What are your current plans for the next few years?

ā€œAfter undergrad, Iā€™ll probably take a year or so off from school to get a full-time job in the mental health/social work field, and then maybe go to graduate school for school psychology at WSU, or other Mastersā€™ programs like a masters in social work or maybe even social psychology. Thatā€™s the plan anyways, maybe Iā€™ll try to do some sort of small travel trip too.ā€

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?

ā€œI would say that even if trying to figure out who you are or who you want to be seems like a daunting or intimidating task at first, remember to have patience and not to put too much pressure on yourself! I would say just be yourself and focus on trying to do your best at whatever it is you want to do.ā€Ā 

We want to thank Ben for taking the time to answer our questions!
Interview written by Kristie McNamara, Director, Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development.

The post Student Spotlight | Ben Morin appeared first on Campus Life.

Written by Jess Evora, Assistant Director, OSILD
Photos provided by S. Page & Worcester State

Scott Page, a native of Winchendon, MA., is the captain of the Menā€™s and Track teams.Ā  He is a former treasurer and project manager for the student organizationĀ Enactus.Ā  If that wasnā€™t enough, Scott also works part-time at the Wellness Center.

We asked Scott how he does it all.Ā  He said he said he has been able to grow as a leader with the support of his Worcester State family.

Personal Growth through his Student Athlete Experience

Scott strongly feels that his experience on the track team has contributed immensely to his personal growth.

ā€œI love the community of all the athletes,ā€ Scott said. ā€œEveryone meets up and talks to each other.ā€

Scott explained that he is extremely grateful for the resources provided to student-athletes, which ensure that they are able to perform well both in the classroom and in their respective sports.Ā  These resources include Study Hall and assistance with class scheduling, among many other support services.

Scott also appreciates the opportunity to engage with his teammates.

Scott earned the top spot asĀ  MASCAC (Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference) champion twice during his time at WSU.Ā  He is pictured here with his teammates Justin Lewis (left) and Marcus Vieira (right).

ā€œI love competing and practicing with my team.Ā  I love being a team player,ā€Ā  Scott said.Ā  ā€œWhen I wake up, Iā€™m excited to go out there and have fun with my teammates.ā€

ā€œWorking with my teammates has definitely made me a better leader,ā€ Scott said.Ā  ā€œI spend a lot of time with the guys I compete with on and off the track, just hanging out.Ā  We are very family-orientated.Ā  They’ve had such a positive impact on my last four years.ā€

Scottā€™s leadership has not gone unnoticed in the Athletics department.

ā€œScott is a great leader, on and off the track, not only for his teammates but the entire athletic department,ā€ said Kelly Downs, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Support Services and Head Womenā€™s Lacrosse Coach.

ā€œScott is actively involved in the Athlete Mentor Program and Student Athlete Advisory committee where he leads by example,ā€ Kelly said. ā€œHe takes his academics seriously, and he does whatever he can on the track to be the best athlete he can.ā€

Scott credits his friend Tyler Nims (left, pictured here with Scott) for getting him involved in Enactus.

Stepping Outside of his Comfort Zone

In addition to his responsibilities on the field,Ā Scott became involved with the community service-based student organization, .Ā  He feels that Enactus created for him a second family outside of Athletics.

ā€œMy best friend Tyler Nims encouraged me to join Enactus my freshman year, and I immediately fell in love with the people I met and the things that they were doing.Ā  It was very community service-based.Ā  The Enactus members were my family outside of Athletics.ā€

Scott decided in his first year at Worcester State that he would run for an elected Executive Board position with Enactus.Ā  He was encouraged to do so by his peers.Ā  However, he shared that he was definitely hesitant at first.

ā€œI was anxious to run for E-Board.Ā  It was my first year in college,ā€ Scott said.Ā  ā€œBut I wanted to get more involved, and so I ran for treasurer of Enactus. And I ended up gaining so much from holding this leadership position.”

Developing a Support Network at WSU

Scott explained that he experienced many challenges that come with being a student-athlete, including finding time for things outside of athletics.

Scott at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

ā€œIā€™m taking five classes, and I have meets, practice, lifting, and sometimes a second practice that same day,ā€ Scott said. Ā ā€œThen carving out time forĀ hanging out with friends who are not athletes.Ā  And then, of course, finding time for myself and being able to relax a bit.ā€

However, Scott was able to overcome his challenges by building a strong community of support here at WSU, which includes his teammates and his friends on campus.

His support network also includes faculty and staff, many of whom he acknowledges for playing a large role in helping Scott manage the demands of a student-athlete.

“Dr. Mahoney [Joan “Jay” Mahoney, Professor, Business Administration and Economics, and Advisor for Enactus]Ā has helped me so much, with classes and everything,ā€ Scott said. ā€œSheā€™s been there for me, and I know sheā€™s also been there for countless other people. Having her help me figure out my degree plan, and having her as a professor in my business classes was great too.ā€

“ScottĀ is a true scholar and gentleman,” Dr. Mahoney said.Ā  “He is a caring, people-centered servant leader always willing to put others before himself.Ā  He did a fabulous job as Treasurer for Enactus.”

Scott also wanted to acknowledge Dr. Mary Clay [Assistant Professor, Business Administration and Economics] with whom he took his first accounting class.Ā  ā€œSheā€™s the reason I chose accounting,ā€ Scott said.

ā€œAnd of course my coaches,ā€ Scott said. ā€œThey have helped me a lot through everything. They have had such a big impact on my time here at WSU. Weā€™ve spent so much time together.ā€

Taking Care of Business

Despite all of his accomplishments, Scott understands that he is a student first.Ā  He takes his academics very seriously.Ā  Scott will graduate an Honors student with a Business Administration degree (concentration in Accounting and Finance; minor in Economics). He plans to put that hard-earned degree to good use, and we have no doubt that he will do just that.

We wish you the best of luck Scott in your final semester here at WSU.Ā  Please remember that we will always consider you a member of the WSU Lancer Family.

Sincerely,

The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development

Go Lancers!

The post Scott Page | Track Captain Talks Leadership & Community appeared first on Campus Life.

Written by Jess Evora, Assistant Director, OSILD
Photos provided by K. Surprenant

Kate Surprenant is our captain. She is one of our 2018 Orientation Co-Directors. She is also a member of several honor societies (Phi Eta Sigma, ODK, and Alpha Chi), and an employee of both the Student Center and the Wellness Center.Ā  This is all in addition to her full load of coursework as a senior Occupational Therapy major at WSU.

However, titles donā€™t mean much to Kate. She is focused on what she can do to help others. She genuinely cares about making sure she looks out for her peers. This is what makes Kate a leader.

An individual has to truly care about those around them, and they have to put in the work. Kate does just that.

Kate describes herself as an emotional leader. ā€œKristie [Director of the WSU Office of Student Involvement] actually made me aware of this,ā€ Kate said. ā€œAnd I agree with it. Iā€™m a very passionate leader, and I want to see the people I work with genuinely succeed and improve. The success of others means a lot.ā€

ā€œIā€™m also a very vocal leader, especially on my [basketball] team,ā€ Kate said. ā€œI voice things I donā€™t like and things I like. Itā€™s important as captain to be the voice for those that are working with you.ā€

Kate feels that she is definitely grown as a person over time, and this has made a positive impact on her development as a leader.

ā€œI grew up in a very small town in southern New Hampshire, so I wasnā€™t exposed to a lot of people with different backgrounds,ā€ Kate said. ā€œComing to WSU was a great experience for me because of the diversity here. I learned that in order to lead people you need to understand them.ā€

Kateā€™s Leadership Roles on Campus

As Womenā€™s Basketball Captain and Co-Director of Orientation, Kate has come to realize that you have to be personally invested in order to truly serve as a great leader.

ā€œI wouldnā€™t have been able to serve in the leadership positions Iā€™ve take on here at Worcester State, if I didnā€™t believe in what Iā€™m doing,ā€ Kate said. ā€œYou canā€™t lead something well that you donā€™t wholeheartedly believe in.ā€

ā€œOrientation brings people together that may not have met before, and they are taught so much more about themselves,ā€ Kate said. ā€œOf course, Orientation is about welcoming new students, but itā€™s also an amazing journey for the Orientation Leaders themselves as well.ā€

Kate with the 2018 Worcester State Orientation Leaders

ā€œAnd with basketball, my coach is amazing, and so is our teamā€ Kate said. ā€œOur team also has the chance to go on trips team members may not have otherwise been able to afford.”

“My teammates and fellow Orientation Leaders are the pioneers in changing who I was as a person in college, especially as a leader. Kate said. “I wouldnā€™t have grown without them being so special.ā€

Women and Leadership

Kate, who grew up with three brothers, explained that her identity as a female has played a large impact on how she has developed as a leader.

ā€œRoles are very gendered, and I donā€™t love it,ā€ Kate said. ā€œI am a feminist for a reason. Even as a child I was pretty outgoing and outspoken and I would say how I felt. People tell girls you have to be quiet. Men had the leadership roles.ā€

ā€œYou just canā€™t hold a personā€™s personality back,ā€ Kate said. ā€œAnd I cared too much to not say anything. I held positions in student government in high school because I cared. Itā€™s really important for women to find their voice.ā€

Her Biggest Lesson

ā€œThe biggest lesson Iā€™ve learned about leadership is that you are not always going to be well-liked if you are doing it right,ā€ Kate said. ā€œStereo-typically, leaders are popular and well-liked and may be the best at what they do. And so as Co-Director of Orientation and Basketball Captain, I was too worried about being liked,ā€ Kate said. ā€œAnd now Iā€™m comfortable enough to know that they respect me, and thatā€™s equally, if not more important.ā€

What advice would you give to students who are still trying to find their role as a leader in the community?

ā€œThe biggest thing I would say is that leadership takes time, and becoming a leader is a constant development,ā€ Kate said. ā€œYou canā€™t ever be satisfied with where you are. Donā€™t get discouraged and there is always so much to learn about yourself as a leader.Ā You should never be satisfied with where you are. There is always so much to learn about yourself as a leader.ā€

Final Thoughts from Kate

ā€œA really close friend used to share this quote with me when I was struggling as a leader, and Iā€™d like to share it with you,ā€ Kate said. ā€œā€˜As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.ā€™ [a quote from Marianne Williamson]ā€.

Kate summed up the message of this quote in her own words: ā€œIf you do your thing, then everything else gets taken care of.ā€

Thank you Kate for the words of encouragement and for your contributions to the Worcester State community. We look forward to seeing you finish out your senior year strong.

Sincerely,

The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development

The post Women’s Basketball Captain Kate Surprenant Discusses Women in Leadership appeared first on Campus Life.