I started off the summer being really anxious to start my college experience at Albertus Magnus College. While I was waiting for the last couple weeks of summer to pass by, I received a letter in the mail saying I was one of the few selected to attend a Leadership Program. At first I was a little worried to do this program because it said I could stay on campus if I wanted to. I was a little nervous because I didn’t really want to leave home, but it was only for two nights so I decided maybe it would be a great experience.
Arriving to this program was already really exciting to me because I was going to be able to meet some of the freshmen who would be starting in a couple days with me; so I would be able to have some friends and not be as nervous to start the first day. Over these couple of days we had many different activities and presentations that helped us learn about what it was like to be a leader, and how to successfully get through college by working hard and wanting to succeed.
As this program went on, I got to meet a lot of really cool people and I got to hear many different reasons why people were going to college and why they chose Albertus Magnus. I got to hear about many different ways to stand out and actually show how to be a leader. Not only did this program help me make many new friends, but it also showed me that anyone can be a leader and everyone is a leader in their own way. Even if they are too shy to show it, or even if they think it’s not in them to become a leader.
I would definitely recommend any student who gets accepted or chosen for this program to definitely do it and don’t let the fact of staying on campus scare you. In fact, doing this program actually made me realize staying in a residence hall and being with a bunch of other people wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
It also helped me get a head start on where all the classrooms were and they showed us a bunch of places we can go if we ever need help throughout our college experience. Not only did I learn a lot about Albertus, I also learned a lot about myself as a person and all the skills I hold as an individual. The Leadership Program was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again if I had a chance.
The students in the Leadership Immersion Program had follow-up sessions in October, December, February and March with Dr. Howard Fero, director of the program, and professor of leadership and management at the College. He also is the director of graduate leadership programs.