The Full Story
The Capstone Experience
One of the central values of the Capstone Scholars Program is leadership. From professional development seminars to ambassador opportunities, scholars gain the necessary skills and experiences to grow into a strong leader, both on and off campus. Furthermore, each spring semester, the program offers a Capstone Scholars Leadership Course (CSLP), an eight-week course focused on relational leadership. I enrolled in the course as a freshman, looking to increase my involvement with Capstone and learn about the ins and outs of leadership. During the class, not only did I read about five models of leadership, but I put them into practice when engaging in group discussion, group activities and reflection. My time in CSLP greatly influenced how I continue to approach leadership. During my sophomore year, I served as a co-instructor for CSLP.
The mission of Capstone revolves around students taking what they have learned within the classroom, at any capacity, and connecting it to beyond-the-classroom experiences. I have come to embrace this notion, always looking for different leadership roles and how to become more involved in various organizations. One area this is evident is in my position as an ambassador for the program. In what was formerly known as Host Team, ambassadors worked to represent the program at its events and stand as a voice for students. As an ambassador, I served as a liaison between faculty and staff as well as oversaw freshman student’s adjustment to campus life. My ambassador role played a vital role in my personal growth, and I am thrilled to return as head ambassador in fall 2024.
Within-the-Classroom
Having developed a passion for service and leadership throughout high school, I found myself eager to carry this on at USC. Following my interests, I joined different clubs and organizations where I wanted to hold leadership positions later on as I grew more involved. From joining The Daily Gamecock student-run newspaper to serving as a member of IGNITE with Dance Marathon, I began to find groups of like-minded individuals who possessed similar goals and perspectives to me. In working with such people, I felt a sense of encouragement to push myself and prepare to take on larger roles. With this in mind, the Capstone Scholars Leadership Course presented itself as the missing piece to this goal. In enrolling in the course, I knew that CSLP would provide the necessary confidence and skills to become a leader and mentor on campus.
Throughout the eight-week course, my seven classmates and I learned Kouzes & Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, how to distinguish specific leadership behaviors in self and others and designed and presented a Campus Impact Plan. Through active participation in class and taking part in weekly reflections, I explored what it meant to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. At the start of the class, I had viewed leadership as a tightly defined concept. However, I quickly came to understand that leadership is multifaceted. Each and every person holds the innate ability to become a leader as it is how one uses their strengths and weaknesses to exemplify leadership. A leader remains someone who guides and works alongside others to achieve a common goal. Leaders demonstrate awareness, respect and humility when setting intentions and developing a clear vision/purpose. During the class, I also discovered that I gravitate toward the “Model the Way” leadership style, meaning leaders set examples and intend for actions to demonstrate the standards for others. When leaders follow through on their word and fulfill the expectations they seek from others, credibility is built.
As a public relations student, I value credibility. In my public relations classes, I have learned about the importance of maintaining strong relationships with media outlets. Earning third-party credibility in this way is important in building any organization’s legitimacy. Media relations is defined as the management of core relationships between an organization and members of the media. Informing such individuals about an organization’s mission, policies, practices and products is significant to remain consistent and credible among the public. In bringing the model the way leadership practice and CSLP skills into the PR field, I can accomplish these goals.
CSLP showcased that though my classmates and I came from diverse backgrounds, held opposing interests and had varying knowledge bases, everyone supported one another. In creating our Campus Impact Plans, each student’s goal could be brought to life through the support of different offices across campus. Therefore, I was exposed to and learned more about the resources available at USC. Those whom I met in my CSLP class instilled within me a newfound sense of pride for USC and helped me find my place on campus. The group acted as a source of comfort, as well as provided the encouragement to keep putting myself in new situations and follow my interests. The commandery of the class allowed for a tight-knit group to form. Having had such a positive and impactful experience, I decided to apply for the CSLP co-instructor role. From the perspective of a co-instructor, I gained an even deeper understanding of what it truly meant to be a leader. I saw the importance of goal setting and adaptability to engage students, both of which are critical in public relations.
Beyond-the-Classroom
After taking advantage of all that the Capstone Scholars Program had to offer during my first year on campus, such as attending Hot Cookie Fridays, taking part in community service, Capstone University 101, faculty office hours and CSLP, I developed an unwavering sense of pride for Capstone and knew I wanted to continue getting as involved as I could. With that in mind, Capstone’s ambassador group, Host Team, stood out. Specifically designed to have second-year Capstone students welcome and promote the program, Host Team helps incoming Capstone students adjust to campus life. By standing as a friendly face at Capstone-related events, Host Team members spark conversation with attendees to see what information and resources we can provide them with so that they can better navigate freshman year. In being open to sharing my experiences with getting involved on and off campus and how I overcame my own struggles at the start of my first year, I represented a relatable source for students. Talking out either my concerns or interests with another proved extremely beneficial in making me feel more at home at USC. By holding these types of conversations, I aimed to positively impact new Capstone students.
As an ambassador, I was given the ability to represent a program that has shaped my USC experience. The program fosters a community-oriented mindset, which is now an integral piece of my personal and professional goals. As a public relations student, I strive to generate community-focused messages with corporations and public interests in mind. Not to mention, as a leader, I employ the mentality of servant leadership. In adopting this concept where one provides for and listens to the needs of others before one's own, I seek to invoke a sense of purpose to maximize productivity and capitalize on creativity as opposed to setting limitations. Host Team allowed me to experience a new avenue where I could commit myself as a dependable mentor and resource for learning. Utilizing the necessary communication skills to ask open-ended questions and contribute to an inclusive conversation, I built relationships with those around me. Host Team provided me with a sense of purpose in connecting with scholars to help them explore their passions and provide contacts and resources on campus that can help them along the way. My time on Host Team has also played a large role in my Graduation with Leadership Distinction (GLD) pathway, an honor recognizing extensive work in beyond-the-classroom settings. Given the lessons I have learned about community engagement, retention and reflection, I plan to disucss my Host Team experience in my final GLD portfolio.
My pride for USC, Capstone and Host Team only grew over the months as I came to understand the opportunities ambassadors had to expand their reach. In fall 2024, the ambassador team will expand from 9 to 18, so the group will contribute to the expansion of Capstone itself and understand how it can further act as a flourishing community. Here, not only will internal reflection remain a constant but external reflection as well. While representing the core values of the program, I will lead students in critically and creatively analyzing how Capstone can strengthen its mission of beyond-the-classroom connections on a larger scale.
Forming Connections
As indicated by my within-the-classroom and beyond-the-classroom experiences, the Capstone Scholars Program represents the guiding force behind my journey through college. CSLP and Host Team have equipped me with the necessary resources and skills to succeed as a student, leader and professional. From my fellow Host Team members and supervisor Lizzie Dunsmore to my CSLP peers, I pieced together an invaluable support system. Both experiences showed me how to adapt, work within a team environment to reach shared goals, facilitate group discussion and manage my time effectively.
By first taking part in CSLP during my freshman year, I was provided a nuanced understanding of what it meant to be a leader. In understanding that I connect most with the “Model the Way” leadership style, I learned ways in which I could put this into practice. Given that modeling the way relates to connecting words with action, it is important to know how to clarify your own values and intentions so that actions reflect these. Thereby, when put in the Capstone ambassador position on Host Team, I found it necessary to begin by developing a thorough understanding of the Capstone Scholars Program’s core values and overarching mission, which I worked to demonstrate to first and second-year scholars as well as prospective students. In doing so, knowing how to engage in active reflection was crucial.
As mentioned earlier, the idea of reflection is a central theme of Capstone. In CSLP students reflected on what they value most in other leaders and mentors. Then, in completing a Campus Impact Plan, students reflected on what they learned in the course that they can then implement in other endeavors at USC. On the other hand, while a member of Host Team, each group and one-on-one meeting revolved around reflection. At the start of the school year, the group looked back on their first-year experiences to understand what was missing or could be emphasized. After attending events, each ambassador reflected on the experience to address what can be changed/remain the same moving forward and track personal development. Most importantly, it was through reflection that I was able to implement the leadership practices I learned in CSLP when I was a student in the course, which were further reinforced when I served as a co-instructor.
Abiding by a “Model the Way” mentality, I often started group discussions at Host Team meetings to break the ice, thus demonstrating an expectation that all ambassadors take part and contribute. I asked purposeful questions to my peers and sought feedback for improvement. During Capstone events, I also found myself starting conversations with students by individually approaching scholars to show a commitment to engagement, a value of Host Team. Leading in this way, I was prompted to reflect on my “why.” Why did I decide to be a Capstone Scholar? Why did I make it a priority to come to events my freshman year? Why did I join Host Team? When reflecting on these questions, I was reminded of my goal to give back to others what Capstone has given me — connections and purpose. These two aspects start with community, which became my motivation — to create a welcoming community for all scholars outside of academics.
Reflection was also evident in my personal challenge for the year, which was to begin journaling. Above all, reflecting on my actions allowed me to grow as a leader. As Head Ambassador in the fall, not only will internal reflection remain a constant but external reflection as well. Reflection holds a team accountable and modeling the ways builds credibility as a leader, so such a leadership practice will continue to guide me. To contribute to the expansion of Capstone itself and understand how it can further act as a flourishing community, I will ask each Ambassador to solicit constructive feedback to be implemented, such as the most effective means of mass communication.