Student Leadership Roundtable 

The Student Leadership Roundtable involved bi-weekly peer-led discussions on topics that we, as a group, had previously determined during our first meeting. Our group was very diverse in terms of majors (engineering to urban planning), organizations and leadership roles (president to officer-in-training), and academic years (freshman to seniors). Due to our moderator being ill, I also led the last discussion that wrapped up all our conversations from the semester.

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With this experience, I received behind-the-scenes perspectives about how other UC student organizations are run. I also gained new ideas and perspectives that I could take back to my organization. Our discussions were very encompassing and included various topics, like member engagement, inter-organization collaboration, and diversity and inclusion. Two of my most memorable lessons were the difference between equity and equality and the importance of establishing a solid leadership transition to create and sustain a successful team. 

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This roundtable was valuable to me because I felt it was a precursor to real life in the workplace. It allowed me to collaborate and learn with my peers, all of whom I had never met before, as we actively discussed real-world problems and brainstormed solutions. I was able to enhance my network on campus and broaden my perspective. As an engineering student, I spend nearly all of my time with other engineers doing engineering-related things, so this experience gifted me a break from the academic grind and the chance to engage with people I otherwise would not have. I was eligible to participate in these conversations because I was serving out my first leadership role on campus as a senator for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Thanks to the roundtable, I was able to maximize my impact on the NSBE executive board by improving myself and those around me. While I am unsure of my next collegiate organization leadership role, I look forward to utilizing the strategies and ideas from this roundtable as a catalyst for future involvement. I plan to be a leader in every group I find myself in, regardless of whether I have an official position.