Titan LEAD promotes confidence, skill-building

UW Oshkosh will be hosting Titan LEAD Apr. 13 and 14, a student leadership program that focuses on strengthening individual and group leadership skills.

"I think Titan LEAD is important for everyone to do because it allows you to discover and strengthen qualities you have that make you work the best way possible," Oshkosh student Matt Wolfert said.

Titan LEAD is designed for students to develop an understanding of leadership and personal strengths while connecting with other student leaders.

"You learn many different things about yourself and others and how to adapt your strength skills in various situations anyone might encounter in their life," Wolfert said.

During the weekend, students will be involved in a variety of activities including group work, team and trust building, and personal reflection time.

"We did trust activities like climbing the climbing wall with our eyes closed and others talked us through our way up," Oshkosh student Jake White said.  "We stood on tables and fell off them into the arms of our group members."

White said there were discussions about leadership, goals and influences, among other things. 

"Hearing about their past experiences and dreams for the future was extremely motivating to me in my own endeavors," Abeni Aschebrook, an Oshkosh student, said.

White was amazed at how much was shared and how close he became with other students.

One reason why Oshkosh student Serena Knowles loved the Titan LEAD program was because she got to know people on a deeper level and became better friends with them.

 "It's great that it can bring together different people and make them great friends," Knowles said.

Aschebrook said Titan LEAD not only allows students to meet numerous people who have positive attitudes and big dreams, but it will open up entirely new insights about themselves.

One insight students will take away from Titan LEAD is confidence, according to Wolfert.

"I feel more confident that I can take on any challenge, road-bump and change of plans that lie ahead in my future," Wolfert said.

Knowles said Titan LEAD helped prepare her for a weeklong summer leadership camp this past summer.

"[Titan LEAD] made me more confident when I went to camp," Knowles said. "One thing that people noticed was my confidence."

Titan LEAD also makes participants aware that it's alright to have weaknesses, and builds leadership skills through individual strengths, said Knowles.

"I learned that we all have weaknesses and that's why we need others to work with," White said.

Knowles said she learned it's OK to fail sometimes as long as you're willing to learn and that it's OK not to be perfect.

Chelsea Redger, the program adviser for Reeve Memorial Union, said she hopes students gain a better sense of their leadership strengths and an understanding of the power of positive personal leadership from Titan LEAD.

To participate in Titan LEAD, students must apply by picking up an application from the Student Leadership and Involvement Center or online, and the top 15 students will be selected to participate in the program.

Applications are due by March 2 and students should sign up for an interview time while handing in their application.

"We are looking for students who have been involved as a leader, who have a strong GPA and are wanting to personally advance their leadership skills," Redger said.

For being involved in Titan LEAD, students will receive a copy of "The Radical Leap: Lessons in Extreme Leadership" by Steve Farber.

White said he learned motivation and practice of leadership from "The Radical Leap: Lessons in Extreme Leadership."

"It was a great lesson told in an exciting story," White said. "I couldn't put it down till I finished it."

Students will also receive a StrengthsQuest Book, a T-shirt and plaque, and are eligible to compete in a case study competition.

During the case study competition, Redger said students are given a situation or case and asked to respond in written format on how they would handle the proposed situation. The best answers are then selected.

Those who place in the case study competition will receive a $150 book scholarship for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.

After being a part of Titan LEAD, Wolfert said he took away friendships, connections and confidence.

Aschebrook said she would recommend Titan LEAD to anyone that enjoys being a leader but especially to those students who just might need that extra little nudge.

"Everyone has the potential to be a great leader," Aschebrook said. "The hardest part is taking the risks to get there and be the person you want to be."