A Schmidt Global Student Leader is a highly selected position for Juniors and Seniors who wish to join a Global Journeys faculty member in the classroom and on the Immersion Experience for First Year Students. For the 2019-2020 school year, I was one of the ten selected to be a Leader for the Ghana Journeys trip. This is a final reflection of my experiences as a student leader.
- What constituted leadership in the context of GBL 102?
I think the same leadership traits Schmidt Leaders possess are the same leadership traits constituted for GBL 102 students. The objectives for Schmidt Leaders is what I consider leadership as well, and similar traits I saw throughout the semester in GBL 102. These traits were effective team work, communication, respect and identification for cross-cultural aspects, positivity, and work ethic.
2. Were leadership and authority the same or different? In what ways?
In some ways yes and no. These terms are very similar to each other but are not the same. You can have a leadership title, but have no authority. Or you can have all of the authority, but not be seen as a leader. I would compare these two terms to siblings, with leadership the oldest and authority the youngest sibling. I believe that a great leader who possesses amazing leadership traits, will lead willing followers who respect their leader, and thus will follow and listen to their leader. A good leader will already have people/followers following their authority because they respect them. I think a leader must be seen as a great leader first before authority is earned and thus enacted by followers. In the context as a Schmidt Leader, I have the title of a leader, and yes the authority, but I believe authority was earned as students saw me as a leader they can trust through their eyes first.
3. What leadership actions did you take or observe others taking?
As a Schmidt Leader I took the initiative to have weekly meetings with my professor. I wanted to receive updates, news, or ways I can be of assistance. I also led social bonding exercises in the mornings so that students would get more acquainted with each other. I also am the facilitator of our GroupMe. Here I post reminders, updates, and motivational messages. I also observed my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. I am one of those people who “are quiet at first, but once you know me, I’m a chatterbox”. In this case, the roles were reversed. I had to be the one to speak first when students did not talk. I am proud to say I was able to get out of my comfort zone, and be my bubbly self. I think my quirkiness helped break the ice in the mornings, and got students moving around for the day. I also made new friends who share similar interests as me through these moments, so the discomfort was well worth it.
4. Were you able to apply the ASC approach to leadership?
I think I did. Although I am not quite able to identify certain leadership approaches to Agnes’s approaches. I think I would have seen a clearer distinction in my leadership growth if we were able to go abroad. I think I would be able to identify my growth more if I have more interactions and time spent with students. During my one-on-ones, I believe I was able to use Agnes’s leadership approach more intently. I was able to reflect, analyze, and act with each student. Each student required a different need, so I was able to reflect and analyze my leadership skills and personality in order to relate and/or help the student in front of me.
5. In what ways did you observe leadership being exercised effectively or ineffectively?
I believe that everyone has the potential to be a leader. In the context of Global Learning (GBL) 102, every student possesses a trait or talent that has or will be helpful in the future. One key leadership trait I saw throughout my GBL 102 class was confidence. There were a few students who exemplified confidence. When the professors asked questions, they were quick and confident in their answer. I think students who were on the more introverted side saw these outspoken students as leaders as well. When there was heavy silence for example, these students would break the ice and interact with the class resulting in students being more comfortable with each other. Another leadership trait I saw in my GBL 102 class was humbleness and respect. The theme for my class was emotional deep, and could be depressing very quickly. But students exercised poised, humility, and respect toward the topics at hand. They possessed an eagerness to learn more yet recognizing the sensitivity of the topics. I was very proud at the level of maturity I witnessed. And, it only grew my confidence in the students that when we are able to physically be in Ghana, I know that they will treat locals, their culture, and history with the same humbleness from class.
6. Could leadership have been exercised more effectively? How? (
I do not think so. I think Agnes does a great job at producing and molding future leaders. Even before we step onto campus, we already know our StrengthQuest. And there are multiple opportunities for students to grow and learn as a leader throughout their time at Agnes. One program being the SGSL. Throughout this seminar, I believe leadership training was effective. We were able to grow our knowledge, become more culturally diverse, and learn how to get out of or embrace our comfort zones. This was done with training from the wellness department (learning about mental and physical health), faculty support from diverse departments (CDVL, Center for Global, COVID panelist, etc), and the support of our peers and students.
7. Can you identify ways in which a liberal arts education equips a person to exercise leadership in the context of the Journeys course?
Liberal art colleges typically have small class sizes. This means that there is more one-on-one with professors and your peers. I think this has played a role in Journeys because students were able to develop deeper relationships with their peers, professors, and Schmidt Leaders. Relationships are important, but especially in this context. When traveling to a new country to learn about a whole new culture, it is important to have a strong support system. Also, liberal arts education allows students to explore and gain an interdisciplinary and/or multidisciplinary perspective. Liberal arts education allows students to relate what they learn from these fields and apply them to a global world. In the context of Journeys, students can look at their country in a different lens and solve world problems with critical thinking. Also, the exploration of diverse fields allows students to find similarities and differences with themselves in a globalized world. It promotes growth and a deeper understanding of one’s self. For Journeys it is important to know your identity before taking the next step to study others. One way we did this was through identity maps in the beginning of the year.
8. Were there ways in which what you observed in the Journeys course helped you better understand classroom material to which you had been exposed previously at Agnes Scott?
I think the reverse happened for me. Because my class topic dealt with race and Africa and as an Africana Studies major, I have read many materials about this subject. So, I had much to add to conversations and to share with students. I had to not get carried away, because I did not want to overload students with information or overstep my boundaries with my professors (even though they were more than happy for me to share). Also, as a future educator, I was able to observe students from a leadership/ teacher assistant position. I was reminded that students need diverse ways to learn. This fact arose again during my one-on-ones, as most of the students said they wished there were different types of homework or assignments. That is why, for each class, I did a different type of social bonding activity. One day we would write, or read silently, or move around. The main goal was to do different activities for students who learned differently but could still have a good time.
