Reflection
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Before Starting:
When I first joined Alpha Phi, there was so much new information to take in as a new member. There was different ways to submit grades and service hours it was a bit overwhelming. On top of that, there was different times when they needed to be submitted as well. All of this new information is what led me to ask so many questions to different people until I got the hang of it. When I became the Director of Academics, I was excited to be able to make the process simpler and more efficient. Since I was in that experience of feeling confused, I believe my project will be a way for members to have consistency. That way, they can focus on other things and events our organization holds.
I always had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish, but these steps have really given me time to think and develop ways to organize my project better. I believe the timeline is helpful because it gives me a set deadline on when to accomplish certain tasks.
I believe this project will help me grow closer with members and enhance my experience with Alpha Phi. I believe this because I am planning to meet one on one with members who are struggling and see how I can help them. This will require me to be empathetic to people’s situations, which is an important trait to having going into my future career.
I am excited to learn more about how this position can better serve the members of Alpha Phi and I hope with my input, this position has more opportunity to become more creative!
Final Reflection:
With my EDGE project, I have strengthened and even adopted some new leadership skills that I could utilize in my everyday life. I have learned multiple skills such as empathy, innovation, and adaptability. For many, college is an extreme adjustment. From balancing academics, to social life, and extra-curricular’s it can be overwhelming. I found that with my position it was important to be empathetic to those who were still figuring out how to manage it all. I realized that some people were truly trying their best to make fulfill their study hours and get a high GPA. I learned that when I communicated personally with members who were struggling, it was easy to understand their situation and connect them to resources that would be beneficial for their academic career. I never considered myself as an innovator until I was given the chance to be in the positon of Director of Academics. I was able to create easier ways to track and submit grades.
Through this project, it helped me think what worked and what didn’t – which leads me to adaptability. At first, I intended to create a website with scholarship and internship opportunities that members could go to for information. I quickly learned that members already had so many different places and things to remember for meetings and they were less likely to visit this website. I had to think of a new way to get the information across in an effective way. Instead, I decided to go for a more personable approach and when I heard of a great internship opportunity I would directly talk to people who I thought would fit best and I offered them help if needed to go after the opportunity.
I learned how important accountability was during this project. Even though this was an official position in the chapter, it would have been easy to say I was going to do something and never follow through. I made sure that I stayed on track, responded to people, and arrange study hours each week for members to utilize. Having integrity is something I take seriously and I made sure to follow through with my goals no matter what!