Advice from Student Leader Rachael L.!

Rachael is the captain of the robotics club, an editor of the Pixel Journal, and the club leader of the Biology Olympiad Club. Read on to hear her advice for student leaders!

What skills have you learned in your leadership position?

Leaders have a birds’-eye view of the community—a unique position that I can attribute my skills to. When I was working as a member assigned to a specific task, it was easy to get lost in the technical minutia. With a broader perspective, I’ve learned how to work backwards: identifying the larger goal (i.e., building a robot, crafting an issue, etc.) and organizing from there. Having realized this, though, I’ve also learned how to enable team-wide communication so that everyone can have this perspective. Rather than optimizing for each task, we can also optimize our cohesion.

As a student leader, what impact have you had–or do you hope to have–on the OHS Student Body?

As cliché as it sounds, I hope to have encouraged others to earnestly pursue their interests! I try to do so in two ways. First, I try to give the proper mentorship and resources—pointing to textbook chapters, writing interview templates, etc. Second, I try to foster a positive environment such that enjoyment extends beyond the intellectual. Even if someone enjoys a subject, for instance, if their social experience is negative, they can be dissuaded. Community is what truly solidifies a long-term interest. I hope that—through being authentic and not taking myself too seriously—I’ve created a low-pressure environment for others to explore!

What about this leadership position do you think will impact you in the future and how do you think it will impact you? 

I’ve learned both how to step up and when to ask for help. I think leaders are responsible for the kinetics of a community—how fast we progress towards our goal, managing friction we encounter on the way, etc. Knowing this, I’ve become a person that takes more initiative. But I’ve also learned when to ask for help. Once you see how much needs to be done, you’ll realize that you can’t do it all alone. Once you’re helping/mentoring others, you’ll realize that you—and other people—find joy in this connection, so asking for help becomes much less intimidating. That’s a misconception I had before; I now realize that leaders must both take initiative and seek support. It’s a nice balance that I think will translate well into the future!

What advice do you have for students regarding time management/organization?

Remember that your actions will always have an impact! Being a leader makes this statement more relevant—given that your management skills will directly impact others—but applying this reminder to yourself is also helpful. Doing a task now will ease the load off your future self; organizing documentation now will prevent any future problems. Even though scheduling always fluctuates in group settings, regularly blocking out time has helped me stay on top of things. For example, I schedule Wednesday mornings for communication (sending emails, reminders, etc.) and Tuesday afternoons to prepare (slides, plans, etc.). Alternatively, if I have a heavy workload that week, I redirect all my energy. Instead of thinking of how to do things and when to do things, just focus on actually executing the doing.

What motivated you to pursue your current leadership position?

Like many others who pursue leadership positions, I wanted to be more involved. As I mentioned in my previous response, I had a more specific view: how my articles were structured, how I designed a specific subsystem, etc. But I also wanted to answer more questions. How did my article contribute to the theme of the overall issue? How did my subsystem work with software? The more I learned about how my roles interacted with others’, the more I wanted to be at the forefront of this facilitation. I also had really amazing experiences as an underclassman being mentored by other club leaders. I owe a large part of who I am to them, and still keep in contact with some! It’s my wish that, now, I’ve been able to be that mentor for others.

Do you have any other advice for students interested in seeking a leadership position? 

Leadership is the natural consequence of caring—caring deeply about a subject and the people around you. It sounds simple, but I believe that as long as you care, every great leadership skill will follow. Start by connecting with people, being curious about what impact an organization has, being absorbed with fascinating ideas. And once you’ve done that, you’ll naturally find yourself wanting to communicate with them, wanting to expand your impact, wanting to push the limits of ideas. Of course, you’ll often have to stay disciplined and be uncomfortable—perhaps those moments will feel less natural. Yet having an organic purpose will help you stay grounded. Don’t psyche yourself out; just caring means you’re on the right track!