HWS LEADS
I joined the HWS Leadership Certificate Program in the fall 2017 semester, and I am so happy I did! I have grown so much as a leader, and I don't think that would have happened if I didn't do Leads.
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In Leadership Theory 1, we established our own definition of leadership. For me, leadership is guiding others towards an end goal that will better a larger group of people. Leaders don't always have to be demanding or authoritarian; sometimes the best leaders are the ones that lead from behind.
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Leadership Theory 2 built on the groundwork from Leadership Theory 1, but in a more applied setting. We focused on real-world leaders, what their leadership styles were, and whether we could use those characteristics to help us become better leaders.
The third component of the HWS Leads program was Public Speaking, which I feel was the most important component. Every two weeks, we had to give a different type of speech in front of the class. I thought I was a good public speaker before this class, but I learned that so much more goes into public speaking than just speaking!
COURSE TIMELINE
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Fall 2017: Leadership Theory 1
Spring 2018: Leadership Theory 2
Fall 2018: Public Speaking
Fall 2019-Spring 2020: Practicum
The last piece of the HWS Leads program is the Practicum. This is a semester or year long job/project/class, in which the students take the leadership skills they learned in the Leads classes and apply it.
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I was thankful enough to secure a paid internship with the HWS Admissions Office as one of their Senior O'Laughlin Ambassadors. In this internship, I worked closely with different admissions counselors to meet with prospective students and tell them all the wonderful things HWS has to offer in an education.
This internship was one of the most amazing opportunities I've had at HWS! I got to work and build relationships with some incredible faculty and staff, learn about the ins and outs of creating a strong student body, and talk to some fantastic students about HWS and how they can make it their future home.