President’s Leadership Council cultivates tomorrow's leaders

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Media Contact: Mack Burke  | Editorial Coordinator | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

When you donate to President's Leadership Council (PLC), you equip students with important leadership skills, character-building service opportunities and lifelong friendships.

PLC is OSU's signature freshman scholarship and academic leadership program. Your support allows students to complete a life- changing year-long class that includes leadership and ethics seminars, community service and much more. They will leave the program with the skills to help benefit others in their communities and careers.

For more information and to support PLC, visit: OSUgiving.com/student-life

Hometown: Beaver, Oklahoma
Major: 2019 biochemistry grad, medical student at OSU-COM Tulsa

What skills did you learn in PLC that you still use today?
There are many skills that a physician should have and being a good listener is absolutely one of them. Thankfully, PLC taught me how to really listen to others as they share their journeys, beliefs, thoughts and ideas in a respectful manner. Because of PLC, I have practiced this skill for several years and will continue to do so. I will strive for my future patients to feel truly heard and respected by me.

What are some of your best memories from PLC?
The PLC retreat was always a favorite event for me throughout my undergraduate years. As a facilitator, I enjoyed watching these incoming freshmen get to know their small group members and work with each other to achieve certain goals. Additionally, as we would reflect on the past year each May, it was incredibly rewarding to witness how much the students grew within their first year of college. Throughout the academic year, PLC held some of my most cherished memories.

What advice would you give to current students who are/will be involved in PLC?
My advice for any PLC student would be not to fear failure or rejection. College is filled with many let downs, whether that be a bad test grade or not getting a position you applied for. Take that as a learning experience. Gaining resilience from those hardships is the best thing you can do.

Hometown: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Major: Biochemistry and molecular biology

How did PLC help your transition into college?
Transitioning into college life, especially during a global pandemic, can be extremely stressful. Campus events are somewhat limited, so meeting new people is quite difficult. Luckily, PLC has given me an opportunity to be around like-minded individuals and create new bonds in a new environment. The program has also taught me valuable lessons. I have incorporated some of these in my daily life and it has improved my attitude toward others and more importantly, toward myself. Without PLC my transition into college would have been more difficult.

What does it mean to have the PLC program offer support?
PLC is a unique class because it isn’t one. Instead, it’s a reserved time out of the week that gives students an opportunity to learn about different skills that are geared toward relational improvement and self-improvement. We aren’t a class, instead, we are one large family that’s always willing to help, and having this support makes college life a little easier.

What are some of your most impactful takeaways from the PLC program?
During this program I have learned several important lessons that will greatly benefit me in my future affairs.
The two most significant lessons are to understand others before seeking to be understood and to open up ourselves to discomfort.

Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma
Major: Biology with a focus in pre-med sciences

How has PLC shaped your time at OSU?
PLC gave me an instant community as a freshman. That was something I never expected to happen when I first
got to campus. This program has given me joy, increased intentionality and lifelong friends. Without it, my roots at OSU would not run as deep as they do.

What are big takeaways from the program that you have used in your everyday life?
The biggest takeaway for me is that a leader isn’t defined — there is no one right way to lead. Being a good leader is doing your absolute best every day. There is power in the “everyday" leader.

What were some of your best memories from PLC?
While events like the annual PLC Retreat and the leadership conference (TLX!) we put on are out-of-this-world experiences, I find myself holding on to the little moments that I’ve had with my PLC family and with the directors of the program. I didn’t expect to feel so loved and encouraged by people who have not known me long. Those five-minute conversations, countless emails, and messages have had a meaningful impact on my life.