Author: Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program

How long have you been a GLSLP coach? 2 years.

What inspired you to become a GLSLP coach? I wanted to give back to my community and I love working with young adults!

What learning objective or activity utilized at conferences (i.e. DAC, Values Explorer, etc.) do you think is most beneficial to the scholars? The Values Explorer because if they don’t identify their values, they will struggle with identifying their career paths and life purpose.

What is something you may have learned at conferences that has been particularly useful in your day-to-day life? How to mentor others, networking skills, and building relationships in all walk’s of life.

Where do you hope to see the scholars in your coaching group five years from now? 5 years – working in their chosen fields; 10 years – coaching with the GLSLP!

How long have you been a GLSLP coach? 3 years.

What inspired you to become a GLSLP coach? I knew several other coaches who had been part of the program for several years. They mentioned so many wonderful aspects of the program, including it being an opportunity for students in rural areas to engage in leadership development. I previously had the opportunity to serve as a mentor and supervisor to college students and found the experience to be very rewarding. I wanted to continue to be a part of helping students develop into great leaders.

What learning objective or activity utilized at conferences (i.e. DAC, Values Explorer, etc.) do you think is most beneficial to the scholars?
I think the Values Explorer activity during conferences is most beneficial to the scholars because their values are their motivations that will guide them through their lives and careers. Being able to name your values is crucial in developing what you seek in a career, in the people you surround yourself with, in deciding what boards to serve, and other important moments of your lives.

What is something you may have learned at conferences that has been particularly useful in your day-to-day life? Something I have learned at the conferences that has been particularly useful in my day-to-day life is the importance of communication. When initially meeting first-year scholars at the January conference, it is important to communicate my expectations of them as scholars and their expectations of me as a coach. This is important in day-to-day life as well because I always have opportunities to meet new people who I may integrate into my work. It is important that we communicate our expectations of one another sooner rather than later.

Where do you hope to see the scholars in your coaching group five years from now? Years from now, I hope to see my scholars thriving in their chosen professions or attending their preferred graduate or professional school. I hope to see them living their dreams and all of their hard work in school, internships, and development programs paying off in the most positive returns. I hope we are still in touch with each other, providing updates on life and assisting with developing our goals into reality.

How long have you been a GLSLP coach? 4 years.

What inspired you to become a GLSLP coach? I became a coach because I did not have the support I needed when I was headed off to college. I waited until I was in my late 20’s to start college just because I was not sure what I wanted to study. Once I was around people who supported and encouraged me everything seemed to fall into place. I became a coach because I wanted to make sure that I could help others in the way that helped me most! Support and encouragement can go a long ways and I want to offer my scholars all that they deserve.

What learning objective or activity utilized at conferences (i.e. DAC, Values Explorer, etc.) do you think is most beneficial to the scholars? I think taking the personality test is most beneficial to the scholars. It can often be an eye opener to what works best for them. It is also helpful to share with others the outcome. Often talking about yourself can be hard to do but in the conference setting it makes scholars more eager to open up to discussions.

What is something you may have learned at conferences that has been particularly useful in your day-to-day life? I love learning about how to give and receive feedback. It has made me more aware in all avenues of my life how to address giving feedback. I feel more confident in giving feedback that is useful and not overbearing. It also helped me to take feedback and use it to progress rather than focusing on the negative.

Where do you hope to see the scholars in your coaching group five years from now? I hope to see all my scholars working somewhere that they are passionate about. It is easy to take a job just to get a paycheck but I feel that the leadership program is helping to avoid that. Going out into the workforce while still studying in college helps to gain access into what they really want out of their degree. I want them to be successful and prepared to tackle anything that comes their way.

How long have you been a GLSLP coach? 2 years.

What inspired you to become a GLSLP coach? I became a GLSLP coach to help college students from rural counties understand the value of their education and the opportunity to help improve rural North Carolina. I want to make sure they thrive in college and become leaders in their communities.

What learning objective or activity utilized at conferences (i.e. DAC, Values Explorer, etc.) do you think is most beneficial to the scholars? I think the Values Explorer activity is the most beneficial at conferences. It requires the scholars to think about what they value in a leader and to make sure they also exhibit those qualities as they progress.

What is something you may have learned at conferences that has been particularly useful in your day-to-day life?Conferences are beneficial to coaches because they also experience the leadership activities. We learn how to communicate effectively with our scholars and ensure they are progressing through the program.

Where do you hope to see the scholars in your coaching group five years from now? Years from now I hope to see my scholars happy. I hope to see them in the jobs they love and fostering healthy relationships in their career and personal lives.

How long have you been a GLSLP coach? This is my first year.

What inspired you to become a GLSLP coach?
I wanted to give back to the community. I have heard great things about GLSLP scholars and coaches and wanted to be a part of this wonderful program. These students inspire me.

What learning objective or activity utilized at conferences (i.e. DAC, Values Explorer, etc.) do you think is most beneficial to the scholars?
I actually asked my scholars what they thought about the conference and what learnings they had. All four of them said that they really benefited from the MBTI test and subsequent real-life examples of how people think and react. They said it’s been helpful in navigating their own lives as well as being able to relate to their peers.

What is something you may have learned at conferences that has been particularly useful in your day-to-day life? The MBTI results! It was so helpful to turn the different letters into real actions and behaviors. I learn best with real-life examples, and this is something that stuck with me.

Where do you hope to see the scholars in your coaching group five years from now? I hope to see my scholars happy and engaged with their communities. I hope they all achieve their current goals and continue striving for what they want out of their lives