Witness to Success in Involvement in Student Government
In working in higher education, surrounded by gifted and talented minds both young and shall we say… “not so young” I have had the opportunity to cross paths with very impressive student, staff and faculty members.
I remember one student Erin, who was a shy young woman from a small rural town in Louisiana. Erin was someone at that point in her history that you might be just unfortunate enough to not even notice, She sat in the back of the room, never seemed to raise her hand (maybe like someone reading this post) and in general just wanted to blend in, just blend into the background. But, during her orientation with my student affairs staff at the college, I think (no I know) this young woman took Miss Jackie Dale’s words to heart. She mustered the courage and she went after college head-on and she joined The Student Government Association!! The first year Erin was elected as a Student Representative where I noticed this young woman again as I was the SGA advisor. That first year she wasn’t very vocal, but I watched and prompted when I could as she continually challenged herself to meet new friends, connect with more people and get more involved.
The next year, she was back to SGA again and this second year Erin volunteered herself as SGA Secretary. (she sat and quietly took notes, learning and listening, occasionally asking for clarification) By now she was beginning to get noticed more and more and upon returning the following year… Erin became Vice President of the SGA and I witnessed this young woman progressively becoming more and more of a leader. She began to meet other students from around the state networking, learning and leading and when she graduated (yes that completion thing again) she began to work for the state’s department of education a job that was due in no small part to her determination to GET INVOLVED. Before very long at the Department of Education Erin got recognition from the Secretary of Education, the Secretary then Mr. Bobby Jindal went on to become a Congressman and is now sitting Governor of the State of Louisiana. Our student who reached out, got involved and graduated college, she did get the attention of that Secretary of Education who went on to become Governor of Louisiana, she followed that rising star to Washington, D.C. and then back to Louisiana where the girl who sat in the back but decided to get involved was named to Gov. Jindal’s staff as Assistant Deputy Director of Education for the State of Louisiana. SGA rocks!!
