Towson
Vice President for Student Affairs Award
Essay questions

1. What is your proudest accomplishment in leadership or service as a representative of the campus community?

The biggest challenge of my college career, and my proudest accomplishment, has been running The Towerlight.

As a freshman, I started writing and proofreading the paper. I became the assistant news editor my second semester, and the news editor at the beginning of my sophomore year. I was elected editor in chief at the end of my sophomore year, and I have managed the newspaper for two years.

As my time on The Towerlight staff comes to a close, I've been looking back on my accomplishments, and I'm surprised by how much the newspaper has grown. I have tried to make the newspaper more engaging; more prominent on campus; more flexible; and most of all, more reader-friendly.

As news editor, I was sometimes frustrated by the staff's attitude. They didn't seem to think about our #1 audience -- students -- or how their newspaper impacted campus. So upon my election to editor in chief, I swiftly moved to improve the situation. I met with administrators like Dr. Moriarty to seek their feedback about the paper. I instituted monthly meetings with the president and the provost. I added features like the crossword, sudoku, and movie/music pages. And I started speaking to classes and student groups, spreading word about a more open and interactive newspaper. The Student Government Association was one of the first groups I visited. My message was the same at every meeting: The Towerlight is Your newspaper.

I also took some practical steps to make the paper more inviting. I oversaw a redesign that added a Campus Calendar. I encouraged the use of a Story Suggestion Form so students could tell us about upcoming events. I created an online Letter to the Editor tool to make it easier to submit feedback.

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2. In what ways have you maintained your continued active presence on campus?

I believe that true leaders are always showing their commitment to the organization – seven days a week, 365 days a year. Sometimes this commitment is shown in unofficial ways. I'm always proud to promote Towson when I'm being interviewed about TVNewser.com. I always enjoy speaking to classes about The Towerlight and blogging (about 15 classes last fall and 15 more this spring). And I have attended a countless number of official events, ribbon-cuttings, celebrations, receptions, legislative hearings, community meetings, and other events, usually as a reporter but sometimes as just a curious student. When you're the only student in the room, you become the representative of Towson University, and it's an interesting leadership position to be in.

Most times, though, this commitment is shown through official activities. I've traveled to Texas to present scholarly work, thanks to an undergraduate research grant. I've represented Towson as a member of the Towson University Experts Program through the university relations department.

I hope I've left my mark with a variety of student organizations. As a freshman and sophomore, I loved being a student ambassador, guiding tours of the campus for prospective students. Though my schedule eventually got in the way, I'm still the kind of person who helps lost-looking visitors. As a sophomore, I also enjoyed serving as an orientation leader. I still keep in touch with several of my students, two and a half years later, as their unofficial advisor. For the past two years, I have attended Council of Student Leaders meetings, taking my editor cap off and providing student feedback.

In the mass communication department, I have shown leadership through the Society of Professional Journalists, as a member, an officer, and a volunteer. One of my most memorable experiences has been volunteering at Northwestern High School in Baltimore City, where I and a few other SPJ members helped support the school newspaper through monthly visits and tutoring.