Finding Your Voice With The Emerging Leaders Program

Source: Unsplash, Nick Fewings, https://unsplash.com/photos/EkyuhD7uwSM

The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is a campus society that strives to provide Marist students with opportunities to build their leadership skills, enrich their education and build connections across the community. Through workshops about resume building, guest speaker invitationals and networking events, the ELP is a unique Marist program that encourages students to realize their potential and reach their goals.

Victor Adaun ‘22, President of ELP explained the goal of the program is “to make people realize that an ordinary person can become a leader, as long as you have the compassion and you’re willing to learn.” 

The Emerging Leaders Program motivates students to build connections with other students who share similar interests and aspirations. An important part of the program focuses on giving students the opportunity to network with experts in their fields. It also pushes them to open their minds to what knowledge they can gain from professionals in various careers.

According to Adaun, the Emerging Leaders Program is “the icing on the cake” of anyone’s college experience. “The ELP is not just another activity,” he said. “The progression of it helps you to realize the true value that it has to offer you.”

Workshops and events sponsored by the ELP are open to all Marist students, regardless of class year or major, and free of charge. If students attend six or more events in an academic year, they can earn an Emerging Leaders Certificate to recognize their ambition and dedication. Even if students don’t reach the requirements for a certificate, they are always welcome to attend events. Students can access the registration form for Emerging Leaders events under the Student tab on their MyMarist accounts.

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is housed under the ELP umbrella, and their events often overlap. Though both programs work in tandem, they are separate organizations. The ELP is a non-credit certificate program available to all students, while the NSLS is a nation-wide honor society that requires an invitation and payment to join.

The Emerging Leaders Program aims to reach students of all backgrounds and career paths, and remind them that college is about more than academic achievement – it’s about growing as a person.

“This is, you know, our twenties in college. This is the time for us to grow not just as students, but as people and most importantly as leaders,” said Kyla Gaibor ‘22, Co-SNT Chair of the ELP.

Students engaged in the Emerging Leaders Program have experienced this growth firsthand, in both their personal and professional lives.

“Being a part of this program really made me become more of a butterfly,” said general board member Angelique Virk ‘24. Virk, who considered herself very shy in the past, found her voice and discovered a new sense of confidence through her work with the ELP. “I feel like any leadership position… will always encourage you and always motivate you to constantly fight for what you want and be very vocal about that.”

The Emerging Leaders Program hopes to reach even more students in the future, and organize their collective efforts around the common goal of “emerging” as capable, confident leaders.

“There isn’t anything worse than wasted potential,” said Basma Awadallah ’24, general board member. “I think we don’t know our potential until we have challenged it.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story attributed the final quote to Kyla Gaibor. Basma Awadallah is the board member that said “There isn’t anything worse than wasted potential.”