my Leadership Education.
Fall 2023
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SLI #1: Racial Microaggressions (Leading in a Diverse World)
August 31, 2023
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The first SLI session I attended was Racial Microaggressions (Leading in a Diverse World). One thing I learned from this session was how important it is to be mindful of the language used in all walks of life and how we as leaders can take accountability for our mistakes and take it upon ourselves to learn and grow. Another important takeaway was the importance of active listening and making space for others to share their emotions, thus bringing a group together even closer through empathy and understanding.
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SLI #2: Sleep Hygiene (Leading Self)
August 31, 2023
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The second SLI session I attended was Sleep Hygiene (Leading Self). One thing I learned from this session is the importance of consistency in a sleep routine, especially with what time we wake up every day. As a college student who struggles a lot to get enough sleep, this session helped me realize the importance of taking accountability for my mental health and prioritizing personal needs over pulling an all-nighter to study for a test.
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SLI #3: Purchasing Playbook (Leading @ IC)
November 17, 2023
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The third SLI session I attended was Purchasing Playbook (Leading @ IC) on Nov 17, 2023. As a newly elected treasurer for the Ithaca NLGJA, this session was incredibly informative in providing different scenarios in which a student org would be looking for funding and what steps would be best to take in each situation. The interactive nature of the presentation got me significantly more prepared for my role by knowing what forms are needed to fill out for what occasion.
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Spring 2023
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SLI #1: The Benefits of Emotional Leadership (Leading Others)
March 2, 2023
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The first SLI session I attended this semester was The Benefits of Emotional Leadership (Leading Others). One thing I learned from this session was how important it is to be emotionally in-tune with the group of people you are working with. A leader can have the most knowledge about a given topic in the world, but if they aren't connecting and creating space for people to feel heard and listened to, then the environment will not be positive or productive in the long run.
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SLI #2: Programming with Accessibility (Leading in a Diverse World)
March 8, 2023
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The second SLI session I attended this semester was Programming with Accessibility (Leading in a Diverse World). One thing I learned from this session was how crucial it is to be critical of the media we watch and consider the ways in which disability representation can affect the way able-bodied people view this community of people. This session also encouraged us to do our research, ask questions to help educate ourselves and even gave recommendations for media with good disability representation (for example, "Sex Education" and "A Quiet Place"). This will ultimately help me become a more aware and effective leader and have more tools to make everybody feel included in the people I work with. As a leader, it is our responsibility to always be learning and growing.
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SLI #3: Understanding Implicit Bias (Leading in a Diverse World)
April 18, 2023
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The third SLI session I attended this semester was Understanding Implicit Bias (Leading in a Diverse World). One thing I learned from this session was how important it is to always be thinking of the ways that we have may have implicit biases, especially through our education system. Oftentimes, we don't even realize what biases we have and it's crucial to not become defensive if it ever gets pointed out. We were all asked to take the Implicit Association Test and I chose Physically Disabled - Physically Abled test to examine my biases. I will definitely take what I learned from this session and keep myself more accountable so I can be the best leader, and person, possible.
Fall 2022
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SLI #1: Practicing Empathy in the Real World -- And Better For It! (Leading Self)
August 29, 2022
On August 29, 2022, I attended my first SLI: Practicing Empathy in the Real World -- And Better For It! (Leading Self). One thing I learned from this session is the importance of really listening to the people around us in order to best connect with them. This is the key to practicing empathy, rather than just showing sympathy to someone - empathy goes deeper and involves being vulnerable. During one part of the session, we were put into pairs and were asked to open up to each other in a deep way. It was extremely difficult to share personal information about ourselves with a complete stranger, but there was comfort in the fact that all of us were nervous about it, and the end result ultimately connected us together in a way that we wouldn't have been able to if we hadn't gone out of our comfort zones. As leaders, an important thing that I often overlook is the importance of human connection, which is the foundation of building lasting relationships in our communities.
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SLI #2: Emergency Preparedness & Response (Leading Others)
September 19, 2022
The second SLI session I attended this semester was Emergency Preparedness & Response (Leading Others). One thing I learned from this session is the importance of situational awareness and how far that can go in not only saving your life, but the people around you in case any emergency situation were to ever arise. Just noticing the little things around us like the clothes that people are wearing, the sounds we hear and other sensory details are important in our daily lives and can be implemented into our routines very easily. Situational awareness doesn't have to distract us from enjoying our day-to-day lives and it can ultimately help us if any life-threatening situations ever arise. As leaders, the skill of awareness and being attentive to our surroundings is extremely crucial in being able to lead your community in the best way possible.
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SLI #3: Distinguished Visiting Writer Reading: Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry (Leading Self)
October 4, 2022
On October 4th, 2022, I attended my third SLI: Distinguished Visiting Writer Reading: Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry (Leading Self). At the event, she read excerpts from her debut novel, “The Orchard.” As an aspiring writer myself, this SLI was extremely informative and eye-opening to me. Getting to hear insights from a published author and hearing her experiences inspired me to keep writing. One thing I learned from this session is that even forms of fiction can be considered autobiographical for the author because the characters form in the author’s mind and thus are inherently a part of us. This was a really unique perspective from Gorcheva-Newberry on looking at fiction in a way that centers the author in the conversation and gets us to think about why we write certain characters the way we do. Questioning why we as writers make certain choices makes us better writers and gets us to think deeper about our storytelling choices. As somebody who aspires to be a leader in the writing and publishing world but often feels discouraged to write fiction, hearing this talk from Gorcheva-Newberry was exactly what I needed to hear. Going forward, I hope to take advantage of more Distinguished Visiting Writer Readings throughout my time at college.
Spring 2022
SLI #1: Women Leaders Series: Starting A Podcast With Purpose (Leading Others)
March 8, 2022
The first SLI session I attended this semester was Women Leaders Series: Starting A Podcast With Purpose (Leading Others). Our amazing leader took us through the different steps of creating a podcast, including all the various factors to consider, encouraging us to find what makes us unique with the stories we have to tell. One thing I learned from this session was that it is important to consider my purpose when creating a podcast and what makes the story I want to tell stand out. Not only did this session feel relevant to podcasts but also to any form of creation, which is especially important to me as an aspiring content creator. I want to be a leader and a force in the entertainment world. I have an individual voice that is different from any other voice out there, which makes my story worthy of being told. This session helped drive that home for me through the lens of podcasts and got me to think about my creative, leadership voice in a significant way.
SLI #2: Health Literacy Barriers for POC (Leading in a Diverse World)
April 20, 2022
The second SLI session I attended this semester was Health Literacy Barriers for POC (Leading in a Diverse World). Our fantastic leader took us through the definitions of health literacy and organizational health literacy, asking us to consider what health literacy means to us. We then proceeded to play a game with a partner where one of us played a patient and one of us played a doctor. However, we had many communication barriers and had challenges in regards to what we could say that demonstrated the health barriers that people of color often face. Talking to each other was very difficult and drove home the concepts discussed in the presentation. Health barriers can include language and communication, health status, socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. One thing I learned from this session was how people who have a higher income have a 50% higher chance of reporting healthier outcomes and 60% with access to higher education have a higher chance of better health. This got me thinking a lot about how important it is to recognize how people of color often face higher barriers to getting access to health. As a leader, it is extremely important to make sure that everybody around you is able to get equal opportunities and to be aware of the problems that face people in all communities. Awareness and education are some of the first key steps to making change, and as a leader, it is important that we are a part of the change. Being aware can lead to action and help us be the most efficient leaders we can be.
SLI #3: Who Needs Sleep? (Leading Self)
April 27, 2022
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The third SLI session I attended this semester was Who Needs Sleep? (Leading Self). Our terrific leader took us through a game of jeopardy that actively engaged us students in facts about sleep. This is especially important to consider as college students are notorious for getting little moments of sleep. One thing I learned from this session was how important making even the smallest changes to your sleeping habits can make a big difference. For example, even little things such as reducing clutter on your bed, waking up at the same time from the week to the weekend, and putting your electronics away 30 minutes before bed can make a big difference. This SLI made me think a lot more about remembering to take care of myself, especially as finals week rolls around. It's extremely important to keep my mental health in check and do what I need to do for myself so that I can be the best leader to my community and to myself that I can possibly be. Getting sleep is such a crucial and important part of self-care, and this SLI helped drive home that idea to me.
Fall 2021
SLI #1: Knowing Your Stuff: Anti-Oppression Workshop (Leading in a Diverse World)
September 13, 2021
This SLI session was extremely important as we opened up a dialogue about oppression and were able to examine what issues there are currently present in the Ithaca College community. We wrote down our working understanding ideas of power, privilege, oppression, equity and equality before going on to officially define them. In viewing the Iceberg of Oppression worksheet (pictured right), I was able to visually picture how oppression can be seen culturally, institutionally and interpersonally. Attending this workshop was extremely important as it helped to broaden my perspective and see ways these concepts play into my own life. Our discussions on the numerous different ways people have been discriminated against in the Ithaca College community (by race, age, gender, sexuality, etc) were eye-opening. This workshop was beneficial by informing me more on the issues prevalent in the Ithaca College community, which can help me know how to lead more efficiently during my time here. I also found the concept of Intersectionality to be extremely important in better understanding the diversity of not only the Ithaca College community, but the world as a whole. It was extremely crucial for me as a leader and as a person to learn the official groundwork and definitions for these concepts to help me become more educated as I help others in my life. Having these tools that I learned from this workshop is great as I go out into my own life and speak up more when these displays of oppression are occurring. In my future career in film and writing, this learning will help me have the groundwork to discuss important and diverse topics in the stories I tell.
SLI #2: Paper Scrapers (Leading Others)
October 6, 2021
This SLI session helped me see what type of leader I perceive myself as and in what ways I can better learn to adapt to different group settings. At the beginning of the session, I felt that I was more of a Completer-Finisher, ensuring that the projects are completed thoroughly, and a Monitor-Evaluator, analyzing and evaluating ideas that other people come up with. However, after our group challenge to create a paper structure with a series of guidelines to follow (such as a height, for example), my role naturally shifted. I found myself falling more into the role of Team Worker, providing support and making sure people within the group are working together effectively, which was more of a people-oriented role than I have ever fallen into before. My group of three, upon reflecting on the activity, saw how we all fell into our new roles naturally and were able to adapt to different team roles. Ultimately, every situation where a group of leaders are working together will naturally see different people taking on different positions to help ensure the team's success. Each situation is different and unique. This was a valuable lesson I learned during this SLI session and helped me see myself as a leader with more potential roles. It is extremely important that I do not limit myself in what I can do as a leader and see new ways to challenge myself and grow. As somebody aspiring to go into the film and writing industries, this experience is beneficial because these fields often involve lots of groups coming together to make a final product. Being adaptable and learning to take on more roles will be beneficial to me in my career and can help me stand out in a crowded field.
SLI #3: Got a Wicked Problem? First, Tell Me How You Make Toast (Leading Self)
October 20, 2021
This SLI session was the most unique and really made me think about problem-solving as a leader. We were first instructed to draw the steps in making toast without using words. This proved to be a challenge for me as I am not a greater drawer and have a difficult time communicating my ideas visually. Initially, I wasn't sure what making toast had to do with leadership. Then, we watched a TED talk that discussed how this activity teaches us important lessons that can be used to tackle more complex problems as well. In the drawings, nodes (tangible objects like the toaster) and links (representing the connection between nodes) are represented, which together provide a full systems model. I learned from this SLI session that sometimes it is the most simple things, like a drawing, that can make problem-solving so much easier rather than trying to look for some unnecessarily complex solution. I also found it interesting to see how something as simple as drawing toast being made can be used to illustrate a full systems model, with my initial confusion showing how sometimes our first impressions can be deceiving. As a leader, it is extremely important to consider various perspectives and see how an exercise like this one can really be so elaborate and intricate when fully explained. Finally, as somebody who is interested in writing and film, having this experience will be beneficial to my future career and professional development as I will have to work with many different people. Having this SLI session has helped to show me how to solve more complex problems, which I can apply in the world of film and television that is constantly growing and changing day by day.
