Positions: President, April 2016-May 2017 Membership: May 2015-May 2017
As President I am in charge of setting the agenda for each meeting as well as increasing and retaining club membership. I am also in charge of listening to club members' and what they want the club to do and delivering on these. It has been challenging since the Geography Club has a small group to draw from and even smaller group of students who will participate.
I also attend Geography Department events like the Geography Colloquium talks and the Geography Bowl. It's interesting to see all of the different research that graduate students and professors are doing. It is also fun to be able to interact with other grad students and professors in a more personal way.
This club has given me a great experience. Being the president of this club has been very challenging. I have learned that organizations cannot be successful if members don't participate or are not interested. I have also learned how to evaluate my time and if I should continue my leadership role. Persistence and perseverance are strong traits that make me successful but they can also be detrimental. When an organization is not effective and there is no interest in it then being able to accept that the organization can end is important. After my first semester as President I knew that I wanted to quit but I continued my responsibility as a leader for this organization to finish the year. I have learned how to recognize a dysfunctional organization and when to decide to leave the organization. Time management and evaluation of time placement is an invaluable skill.