In the Alexander Twilight Theater lobby, the Northern Vermont University – Lyndon campus hosted the Student Leadership Fair on March 2. This event had a clear objective: provide information and opportunities for students who want to make positive impacts at school as well as with themselves. Several departments joined forces and hosted tables with informational pamphlets, poster boards, applications for open positions, giveaways and more.
Representing the First Year Experience table were Peer Leaders Trevor Utton and Alexandra Huff. Becoming a Peer Leader can be the foremost opportunity to make lasting impressions on your peers. When asked what her favorite part about being a Peer Leader was, Huff offered, “I love this position. We work as a team, meet new people, build community, and it’s super fun.” Huff was sure to mention how she’s gained new best friends from her experiences. Utton also noted how he serves both as Peer Leader and Resident Assistant.
Peer Leaders help orient and immerse new students into the NVU-Lyndon culture. They help ensure new students are socially, academically, and even financially sound. And perhaps just as important, Peer Leaders demonstrate what Lyndon has to offer beyond the prospective student campus tours.
Next up was the Resident Assistant table, hosted by Dakota Luebbert and Caitlin Wilkins. Luebbert has been serving as an RA for a year now and said the purpose of the RA table was to provide information about what is expected of the position for interested applicants. “This is also great for leadership opportunities as well as resume building,” said Luebbert. Wilkins, the Assistant Director of Student Life, said the hiring process will begin very soon in preparation for Fall 2020. Wilkins helps coordinate leadership activities and RA training. She told The Critic that the department works together as a team, where everything is a group process in some form or another. The perks of being an RA can really help students with their own student experience, too: if hired one can receive discounts on housing and meal plans.
Applications for Peer Leader and Resident Assistant positions are due Monday, March 9.
Joining the Leadership Fair was CAB and SGA – the Campus Activities Board and Student Government Association. These tables were chock-full of information on what these organizations do. From hosting campus-wide events to experiencing student-led socio-political affairs, CAB and SGA provide opportunities not just in leadership experience but also to help inspire students to be the future shakers and movers of the world. Any student interested in becoming a member of these organizations can find out more on the CAB website and SGA website.
And something new is on the horizon for CAB. Known for bringing entertaining and spiritually uplifting activities, CAB is introducing a new raffle for students. Now, students can truly reap the rewards from attending CAB events: for every four events and one general board meeting students attend, they can win a raffle! To do so, students can acquire a raffle card and upon attending an event, have it specially stamped by a CAB Executive Board member. What’s the prize? Stay tuned to find out!
CAB General Board meetings happen every Monday at 5:30 pm in Steven’s Dining Hall.
Surely the Leadership Fair wouldn’t be complete without the Public Safety department! The table was hosted by Mary Berger, well into serving her second year as a Student Officer (as well as being an RA). Serving as a Student Officer can be similar to being a Peer Leader or RA in that it is quite a social job – one regularly interacts and builds connections with all those on campus as well as ensuring the wellbeing of students. Student Officer positions are different in that specialized safety training comes with the job. Student Officers receive CPR/AED training, de-escalation training, and as Berger noted, “maintain a level of decorum, respect for disclosure, and ensure the privacy of all those on campus.” Currently, Public Safety is hiring positions for both the summer season and the Fall 2020 semester. Interested applicants can email Nathan Rossetti and can find more information on Public Safety’s website.
There is a noticeable theme among all of these organizations: if you show passion and can work well in a team, you may be a good candidate for any one of these positions. Leadership is definable as “leading a group of people or organization,” but here at NVU-Lyndon, we dive much deeper than that. It’s that sense of community, that drive to make positive impacts on those around you, and to be supported in both your personal and professional goals. It’s no wonder we see students holding multiple positions across the many and diverse groups and organizations on campus. If you have the desire to get more involved, to find out what’s happening on campus, or want to make new friends, NVU-Lyndon can provide all of those opportunities and more.
Featured Photo by Sabra Anne Snyder || (Left to Right) Robert Koenig and Ben Mitchell represent the Campus Activities Board and Student Government Association at the Student Leadership Fair.