Senior-Spotlight

Nicole Boyle

 

Major: Family Science/Minor: Early Childhood

Leadership Positions: Peer Mentor (2012- 2014), Peer Mentor Coordinator (2014-2015)

Plans after graduation: Mini vacation where I just sleep and sleep some more! Get a cool job and get married in August!

What I learned about myself during my time in leadership: Being a Peer Mentor and the Peer Mentor Coordinator made me realize I love to help people and watch them grow. It also made me realize I wanted to take a new direction career wise and therefore changed my major to Family Science. 

Watson George

Major: Bible and Religion/ Minors: Non-profit Leadership/Teaching English As Second Language (TESL)

Leadership Positions: Student Peace Initiative (2014-2015), Beyond Me Haiti Director (2012-2015)

Plans after graduation: I am doing seminary through Heartland Church in Indianapolis and working part-time; Directing my non-profit organization, Beyond Me.

Favorite memory from being in leadership: My favorite memory I have about the student leadership position is our campus ministry meetings. They were so meaningful to me. We shared our hearts for each other, God, and the people were so genuine and welcoming!

Hilary Hughel

Major: Business Management/Minor: Public Relations

Leadership Positions: Discipleship Coordinator (2012-2013), ULC (2014-2015)

Plans after graduation: I plan to take some time off this summer, rest, spend time with friends and family. I am also hopefully going to do some traveling this summer as well as look for a Public Relations or Marketing Job.

Something you have learned about yourself or leading through your time in leadership: I have learned in my four year of college, that life does not always go as planned, but that does not mean God will not use your situation for his Glory. My time in leadership has taught me a lot about myself and helped me explore what kind of leader I wanted to be. It has also taught me, that I can't be everything to everyone and I first and foremost need to allow time for myself and extend grace to myself. I am so thankful for the leadership that is on this campus and their active pursuit to walk along side the students to help them grow. This has been a great four years!!

Julia Kittle

Major: Sociology/Minors: Business Management and Spanish

Leadership Positions: Campus Ministries- Generation to Generation Coordinator (2012-2015)

Plans after graduation: I will be an intern in the Development department at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and continuing to look for full-time jobs in the area.

Something you have learned about yourself or leading through your time in leadership: One of the many things being a part of student leadership for three years has taught me is how to let go. When I first started leading Generation to Generation my sophomore year, I had high hopes everything would go as I had planned, but that was simply not the case. Being a part of campus ministries staff allowed me to realize this about myself. I always thought that “control-freak” nature belonged to others; but not me. As a staff, we each share out stories and this is when I realized a common theme throughout my life and experiences: the inability to let go. Even though I shared my story each year for three years, I noticed new parts of my story each time I shared. I couldn’t let go of that poor test grade, that broken friendship, allowing others to step up in group projects, and many other things. I wasn’t allowing myself to rest in the peace that comes from letting go and letting God take control over difficult situations. While things didn’t go as I had planned, awesome things still happened, just not what I had planned prior to taking the position and still during my time  as a leader! I knew I had to “let go” and let God jump into the driver’s seat; far too often I find myself reaching over for the wheel and fighting with God for control. With encouragement from my mentors, other leaders on campus ministries staff, and my friends, I came to realize I didn’t have to always be the one calling the shots. If one of my volunteers wanted to plan an event for the residents, then I needed to happily delegate that over to them and watch how their vision for the ministry could also be incorporated into mine. Beautiful things and new relationships followed. Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or this is your third year as a leader, I urge you to be flexible and allow the vision for your ministry to change: because it will. While change is hard, sometimes it is so necessary and can bring beautiful things to life. Thanks for listening, guys! Have a wonderful and restful summer!

 

Austin Lyon

Major: Psychology

Leadership Positions: Dunn Hall RA (2012-2013), SGA President (2013-2015)

Plans after graduation: Only thing set in stone is my master's program at IWU in student development counseling and administration. Other than that I am hopeful for a position in residence life anywhere.

Favorite memory from being in leadership: Definitely one of my favorite memories was starting a new 4th floor Dunn tradition that only true 4th floor Dunn boys know about.

S. Katie Miller

Major: Visual Communication Design/Minor: Writing
Leadership Positions: Advertising Coordinator / CAB (2013-14), Student Director / CAB (2014-15)
Favorite memory from being in leadership: One thing I really love about CAB is how unafraid we are to be silly, and sometimes even downright stupid. I was reminded of this at 9:02pm at the Rooftop Dance this past weekend. At 9:03 there was a total of four people there and they were not dancing. My options were:

• Make another s'more (I'd already had four).
• Drink that Chartwell pop in the corner and maybe prop one leg up to look cool.
• Go dance like an idiot by myself.

So a few other Cabbies and I did. We discoed down the stairs and boogied our butts off in the broad 9 o'clock daylight—and it was so fun! Soon enough people were moovin and groovin and soon enough Katy Perry was asking a crowd if they ever felt like a plastic bag and sparklers were spritzing all over the library courtyard. It was a complete blast, but I have to say my favorite part was dancing like and idiot with some great people who didn't care.
I love being part of a team that loves and serves campus.
And I love being part of a team that loves to be stupid so everyone else can be cool.

Samantha Pence ​

Major: Social Work ​

Leadership Positions: Morrison Hall RA (2012-2013), ULC staff member (2013-2015)

Plans after graduation: Moving to San Diego, California and obtaining a job in Military Social Work.​

Favorite memory from being in leadership: My favorite memory about leadership is when I was an RA my hall and I went to Dove Harbor and made Christmas crafts with the kids. This was just one rewarding and joyful experience, along with the pancake dinners, movie nights, and endless late nights talks I had with my hall as an RA. 

Courtney Rice

Major: Bible and Religion/Minors: Family Science and Peace and Conflict Transformation

Leadership Positions: RA in Morrison Hall (2013-2014), ULC Director (2014-2015), Admissions Crew Student Manager (2014-2015)

Plans after graduation: I will be working as a Camp Director for TEAMeffort this summer (location still TBD). After the summer I plan to embark on the journey of figuring out my next adventure in life.

Something you have learned about leading through your time in leadership: One of the lessons I have continually learned throughout my time in leadership is that there is a difference between perfection and excellence. Perfection is not attainable, and if you spend your time trying to be perfect, you are just going to end up burning out and losing focus of why you are in your position to begin with. However, serving and leading with excellence is attainable. Leading with excellence does not mean that you will never mess up or have to apologize. Rather, leading with excellence means being mindful that you are going to make mistakes (we are all human), and then instead of hiding them, you humbly admit those mistakes, and get back up and try again. Do not strive to be a perfect leader --> Be an excellent leader.

Kiersten Town

Major: Sociology

Leadership Positions: Rice Hall RA (2013-2014), Rice Hall ARD (2014-2015)

Plans after graduation: After graduation I plan on finding full time employment near my hometown and making lots of new friends!

Advice for those continuing in leadership: Leaders, if there was one piece of advice I could share with you, it would be to invest in a mentor relationship. We are never too old to have someone share wisdom with us. Allowing that to happen in a trusting and close relationship is even more valuable. I have grown so much by God teaching me, and that was largely through my individuals with my RD, Maggie. Although we are leaders, we still have the opportunity to be led in other parts of our lives. There is always space to learn and grow.