VOLeaders Academy Participant Links to an external site.
A core component of the Leadership Studies Minor is that all students participate in at least one 30+ positional leadership practicum course with 30+ hours of leadership activities paired with an additional 30 hours of leadership and setting-specific instruction and coaching. My coached leadership experience was to serve as a selected student-athlete leader within the University of Tennessee Athletics Department. As a VOLeader, I studied Leadership in Sports and Sport for Social Change. Leadership in Sports is a course designed to provide student-athletes with a strong base of knowledge and experience as they prepare to assume responsibility for leadership within and outside of their roles as student-athletes. The course provided students with an understanding of their individual leadership styles, the practice of leadership in individual and team sports, and the importance of mentorship, values, passion, ethics, and authenticity in sport. Sport for Social Change is a designated service learning course designed in collaboration with local community partners focusing on leadership principles, professionalism, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication skills- all through sport-based service. Student-athletes facilitated activities and games with underserved populations in the local community, and gained a deeper understanding of nonprofit managements and sport-based social innovation. This course was designed to facilitate growth in leadership, community development, critical-thinking, emotional intelligence, cross-cultural communication, and social change. It was intended to stimulate empathy, social responsibility, active citizenship, and desire to serve.
The VOLeaders Academy completed a Cultural Sports Exchange- Ho Chi Minh City & Hanoi, Vietnam Links to an external site. as a capstone service experience. Please view the link to read about my experience as a VOLeader in Vietnam.
As a result of the VOLeaders program, do you think differently about yourself and your role in the world? Do you think you’ve grown?.
" I definitely think I view myself differently. I believe I inherited a unique sense of self-worth, and with this I have become more cognizant of ways in which I can use my skills, knowledge, and personality to impact the world around me. As I reflect I can see how consumed I was in the here and now, rarely stopping to ask myself who I was and what my purpose in life will be. Whenever we discussed identities and how we want to be identified, I began asking myself questions like “how do I want to be remembered,” and “what do I want to be remembered for?” Slowly, I believed I changed as a person. I feel as if I am more free spirited and optimistic, I always try to be positive and lift people up, something that I normally would not have done. I place more emphasis on relationships now, and this in itself goes a long way. I think that everyone has a gift that they can use to give back to the world, and I can firmly say that the VOLeaders Program is a journey that invests in helping student-athletes find their gift. I say this because I feel as if I have found mine. As I consider my future, I don’t really know what my impact on the world will be, but I know that big or small, I am on a mission to make one."
Do you think the VOLeaders program enhanced your leadership skills? What skills did it strengthen? Or what new skills did you learn?
" I think coming into the program, I had the potential to be a great leader, but I struggled with leading in the footsteps of others opposed to creating my own path. I learned that constantly trying to fit a mold of leadership will only get you so far. I believe that I am living proof that authentic leadership will take you to a new, limitless level. I’ve learned a lot about who I am and what I stand for, how to incorporate that into my leadership style, and how to establish trust and relationships as you lead. Through this, I have gained the confidence and credibility to speak up, down, and across."
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