Thursday, March 25, 2010

Leading and serving

I can't believe it's already time to talk about nominations for the Impact Awards! The ceremony isn't until April 29th, but the nominations are due April 5th.

With this event coming so quickly, I've been thinking a lot about how leadership and service connect and combine and how proud I am of so many BSC students and colleagues who have mastered this combination.

When you think of service, what comes to mind?

Do you think of serving food at a soup kitchen or building houses for Habitat for Humanity over Spring Break? I certainly do. I think of the countless hours that our fraternity and sorority groups contribute to national and local agencies and the amazing amount of fundraising that our Relay for Life participants have raised for the American Cancer Society at our event this upcoming weekend.

Service can also be seen in a different light here on campus. How about the students who put together the Lunar New Year celebration? They did it to teach us about the culture and provide an enjoyable experience for us as members of the BSC community. What about the students who participate as part of the Bridgewater Involvement Grant committee to offer a student perspective on which programs should receive funding? What about members of the Panhellenic Association? All of the students mentioned are contributing to the community with a goal of making life better for others. Of course, the level of need is different and the situations can not compare, but the motivation and drive to serve has a lot of similarities.

No matter what community you choose to serve, we host the Impact Awards each year to celebrate your contributions!

When you think of leadership, what comes to mind?

Did you think of organizations like student government or a group project in class where someone "takes the lead" to get your project up and going? I definitely do! Watching everyday "acts of leadership" on this campus is easy. It's evident in every campus event we see, in every meeting you attend, and in every course you take. You can see leadership every time a group of friends is trying to figure out what to do on a weekend and every time a faculty member is trying to think of a new approach to help students understand a key concept.

More traditional "service" activities are also outstanding examples of leadership. Unfortunately, these volunteers are often the "unsung" leadership heroes and we're hoping that the Impact Awards can bring these hardworking students to get some recognition they so sincerely deserve. Think about the leadership skills needed to motivate a group to keep clearing out a park trail in bad weather. What happens when you are faced with a choice between participating in a service project with your organization OR going out with your friends. There's some values-based decision making that needs to happen in that situation, right?

Leadership and service are interconnected and we are ready to celebrate all of the great work by BSC students and colleagues. Are you willing to help someone get the recognition they deserve?

It's time to nominate. Here's your chance: Impact Awards Nomination

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