In an effort to raise awareness of leadership opportunities around campus, WREK radio invited multiple student leaders onto the air to express ideas and successes. Students like the Collegiate Pan-Hellenic Council (CPC) president, Undergraduate SGA President and former WREK business manager slipped on their headphones, scooted up to the microphone and shared their leadership experiences on air as part of a recurrent program called the Leadership Series.
During the Leadership Series, student leaders from around campus were spotlighted, and discussed how they became involved on campus and how that involvement has helped them grow.
“The purpose of the Leadership Series is to be a reference for those interested in getting involved at Tech, and a way for outside listeners to see how Georgia Tech students have an influence on Campus Life and on the Tech community as a whole,” said Katie Flint, News Director at WREK and founder of WREK’s Leadership Series.
The series began in 2012, when Flint was struck with an idea while being a Team Leader for GT1000. She saw a need for current and incoming freshmen to learn how to be actively involved around campus. What better way than from the current campus leaders themselves, she thought.
While this year’s interviews focused more on student leaders, in its first year, the Leadership Series hosted interviews with various members of Tech administration, including Dean Stephanie Ray, Miller Templeton and President Peterson.
The series was aired last week, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, playing every day at 7, 8, 9 and 11 a.m., and 3 and 4 p.m. Each interview was conducted with the goal of promoting campus leadership.
“For me, campus involvement was one of the most valuable traits when choosing a college, and my goal was to become a campus leader. And I wanted to show students that they too can be involved and a leader on campus,” Flint said.
Flint’s passion for the series stems from her energy in inspiring younger students to pursue higher forms of leadership and involvement at Tech, and has succeeded in garnering the support of both the students and administration alike.
“I’m always excited around this time of year because of putting together the [Leadership] Series. Leadership and involvement is something that I always encourage younger students to pursue while at Tech, and getting the perspective of administrators and student leaders is something that really helps solidify that encouragement,” Flint said.
Flint realized how overwhelming campus involvement can seem at first. She wanted the series to illustrate the different options for students. Flint hoped to explain how to combine academics with extracurriculars and leadership opportunities.
“In the midst of opportunity and academics, sometimes it’s difficult to find where to start, and how to start,” Flint said.
One of the speakers on the air this year was Caroline Freeman, current president of CPC.
In her interview, Freeman explained more than just how to get involved around campus, she also delved into how becoming a campus leader has helped her mature.
“My role as President of CPC has helped me pull together the leadership lessons I’ve learned from various on and off campus positions over the years,” Freeman said.
“More than anything, it has challenged me to be better at loving people, even when I disagree with them.”
Leaders such as Freeman enjoy speaking on the best pieces of advice they would like to give to aspiring student leaders.
“I think the radio series is a fun way to pass on a little bit of the knowledge that other leaders and I have gained over the years. Being a leader is not about building your resumé—it is about making a difference,” Freeman said.