Club presidents offer advice to their past selves

As club presidents across campus prepare to pass their batons to the next generation of leaders, they were asked to reflect on their time as leaders with a simple question: “If you could talk to yourself on your first day as president with the knowledge you have now, what advice would you give yourself?”

Their answers — sometimes profound, sometimes practical, but always honest  — offer a look into the working and challenges of student leadership and the growth that comes along with it, between meetings and through the inevitable stumbles of guiding an organization. From the president who wished for more delegation to the one whose advice is to worry less about making everyone happy, the reflections reveal how their time as leaders shaped them.

Basmala Alemam

President, Psychology Club

I would probably tell myself to delegate tasks more often and have more confidence in my leadership ability.

KT Pagone

President, Augie Organizers

If I could talk to myself on my first day as president with the knowledge that I have now, I would say to make sure that I have a strong board for support in planning and implementing events. I would tell any first-time president of a club to start forming relationships with the Student Engagement Office (just entering that place and saying hi to Sara DeSmet, Danny or Randi). I would also want any first-time president to "ground" themselves in the core mission statement of the club. I found myself at times trying to figure out what to do, and I wish I had simply reminded myself of the expectations of my mission statement.

Gabi Rabboni

President, Serving and Learning Together (SALT)

If I could talk to myself on my first day as a president with the knowledge I have now, I would say, “Not everything is going to go as smoothly as you hope — and that's okay. Events won't happen exactly how you planned, and volunteering isn't about being perfect; it's about showing up, putting yourself out there, and doing good for others. You'll learn that time management is a huge part of running events, from set up to tear down and everything in between. You may not know all the tricks or skills that would make you a better leader in a position like this at first, but trust me, you'll grow so much. Everything you learn here will stick with you and be incredibly valuable in whatever career you choose later on.”

Abigail Mitchell

President, Literature Club

I would tell myself to just have fun with it. Leadership is only a burden if you let it be. A club will have a good time when its leaders are.

Rachel Johnson

President, Augie Green

While I love Augie Green, I’ve also been busy in my senior year with finding grad schools (I got a research assistantship at the University of Montana), working on my thesis on planting the Viking Oasis, a side job at Ace Hardware, etc. I’d go back to tell myself to “use” my board more. While I certainly encouraged them to propose and plan events that they want to happen (I never said no), I believe that I should have been better at communicating about setting up events.

As someone who’s used to just tackling projects to see them finished (I come from farming families on both sides), I need to be more aware that I can also just actually ask people for help with certain things, as they are more than willing and happy to do so but unless they’re engaged with about what the club wants to get done, how are they supposed to know. 

Sophie Johnson

President, Augustana International Club

I would give myself three things. First would be patience. Second would be, be true to yourself. Like don't be afraid to be harsh in order to get things done. And my third would be a quote that I learned from my partner, which is, ‘when everyone loses their heads, make sure you keep yours on.’ The first thing that I wanted to talk about is patience. When I was present the first day, I was ready and excited, but everyone didn't work on my timeline and that was extremely frustrating for me. I had to learn how my peers worked best in the club, getting to know them one by one. Some people just need more time to work on things. Not everything will go the way I want to and I need to have patience and see things through.

The third thing is when everyone is losing their head, make sure yours stays on. Things don't always work out the way you want them to. Sometimes you have to think on your feet when logistics change. When everyone's looking at you saying, 'Sophie, how can you fix it?' just say, 'Yes, I can,' and work towards a solution while being calm and level-headed. If everyone's freaking out, nothing will get solved. If you're the one keeping everyone stable, that's what makes a good president. To be a good crisis manager, you need to stay calm and level-headed.

Mataya Milk

President, Native American Student Association (NASA)

If I could talk to myself on my first day as president, I’d tell myself to be confident in my voice and to remember that leading with heart is just as important as being organized. I’d remind myself that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes, but focus on building strong relationships because collaboration and communication will take you further than doing everything on your own. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Lean on your community, don’t try to carry everything alone, and know that every event, meeting and conversation makes a difference. And most importantly, celebrate how far you’ve come, even when it feels like there’s still so much to do.