Leaders get an early start

The third annual Medaille College Leadership Advance program took place August 29 and 30. A group of 40 students, comprised of members of Student Government Association, RA staff, Leadership students and other campus leaders, were in attendance. The program exists in order to build a dedicated, campus-wide team of student leaders and help them to develop leadership skills and become aware of their role and its impact on the campus community.

Kerry Dieckman, Director of Student Involvement, believes that these goals were met at this year’s program. “I think that we attain these goals just by helping our students stand up and become leaders in the Medaille community, but this program allows those leaders to come together to bond and provide support for each other,” says Dieckman.

The Leadership Advance program consisted of team-building workshops and activities, informational sessions, and other fun bonding activities like a reunion barbecue, kool-aid relays, a water balloon toss and dinner at a “mystery location,” among others. Throughout the two days, much emphasis was put on group activities: “We really are looking for students to see that, despite their position on campus, all student leaders are part of a larger team,” said Dieckman.

“One piece [of the program] that we were very happy with was the student participation in the ‘Buffalo Adventure’, which was a city-wide scavenger hunt that helped students get acclimated to Buffalo, its history, and all the culture it has to offer,” stated Dieckman. Andy Yestribi, a Junior Vet Tech major, also felt that the “Buffalo Adventure” was beneficial. “We had a bunch of clues that led us to different places we took pictures of, but to achieve this, we could only walk or use our Metro pass. We used the rail and bus a lot. Through that, we were able to get a better appreciation of cars, and were able to see how the majority of Buffalo’s population gets around.”

In addition, students benefit from the fact that “the team-building, communication, marketing, problem-solving skills that these  students gain are all skills employers are looking for in their employees,” added Dieckman.

The program is held annually. Any student interested in participating in next year’s Leadership Advance should contact someone from the staff of the Student Involvement Center, the Center for Multicultural Education and Diversity office, or Residence Life.

As seen in the September 17 edition, in the news section, page 6.