The 21 members of the Chancellor’s Leadership Council work closely with Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock and attend several meetings with him per month. Martha Rhine | The Crow’s Nest
By Alyssa Harmon
Out of 369 first-time-in-college students at USF St. Petersburg, 21 were chosen to be on the Chancellor’s Leadership Council.
The CLC is a program created this year for outstanding freshmen selected to help represent the university. These students attend events such as commencements, Board of Trustees’ meetings, faculty and staff receptions, banquets and student events.
To stay in the program, students are expected to be professional while they hold the position.
Members must be full-time students, with at least 12 credit hours each semester, while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. They must remain actively involved in clubs or organizations in the community and are urged to be an officer in at least one of them.
The group also has to complete 12 hours of volunteer service a year and submit the records to the Office of Civic Engagement.
Additionally, members assist Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock with various jobs. Each month, they submit activity reports to him, attend meetings with him and meet to review their progress. They also brainstorm ideas on how to stay involved on- and off-campus.
In exchange, the students gain experience in many different areas: leadership training, administration, networking and public relations. They receive mentoring and connect with alumni for leadership opportunities. Through this program, they form a network geared toward success with their classmates, faculty and community leaders.
The council is funded by one-time funds set aside yearly to be used for scholarships and awards at USF St. Petersburg. Students involved in the CLC also receive a $2,000 annual award, which can be renewed for up to four years and used with other scholarships and awards. A one-time study abroad award of $1,000 is also available to them.
The students also have the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program at an international college located in Weihai, China. There, they will learn some of the Chinese language and culture and tour some famous scenic spots in Shandong and Beijing.
They will receive a certificate and special recognition at their graduation ceremony.
The program was inspired by Tadlock’s experience at Statue University in Oklahoma, where he was working with the President’s Leadership Class.
The program started with a goal of 20 students in mind and it will continue with about 20-25 students each year.
To be eligible, incoming freshmen must have a weighted 4.0 GPA and scores of 1230 on the SAT and 26 for the ACT. In addition, they must demonstrate activity in high school by being involved in community service or at least two clubs. However, simply meeting these requirements doesn’t guarantee entry into the group; applicants must also attend an interview.
If students meet those requirements, they must submit an application, a 500-word essay on a topic about leadership, a resume to prove involvement and two letters of recommendation from people who can attest to their abilities.
To apply or find more information, you can visit this website.
Samantha Harris, journalism major, is one of the selected freshman for this leadership opportunity.
She became involved in the program when she received a letter from USF St. Petersburg informing her about the CLC.
Harris said that the CLC offers many opportunities for her and her peers. She said she has had the opportunity to participate in various events to help assimilate her into the community, including the Critical Thinking Conference, a Town Hall meeting, and having a discussion with Senator Brandes. At the Town Hall meeting, the CLC members greeted guests and talked about why they love USF St. Petersburg.
Harris is also involved in the Honors Program and the “Puppy Love” Living Learning Community, of which she is the secretary.
“My favorite part of being in the CLC has definitely been getting to meet such a wonderful group of people and attending events that I wouldn’t know about otherwise,” she said. “Chancellor Tadlock is so kind and makes the council feel like a family.”
Ambar Matos-Gonzalez, finance major, is another member of the CLC.
USF St. Petersburg was Matos-Gonzalez’s backup plan, but even though she was accepted to her other first choice colleges, USF St. Petersburg offered a more affordable and realistic option.
The university has won her over. She said the faculty and orientation leaders aided in the transition from high school to college by offering help and inciting excitement to start college. Not once has this school made her feel like it did not care about her.
She became a member of this community when a CLC officer approached her about an article on valedictorians and salutatorians that she was featured in. The officer asked her if she would be interested in joining their council. After doing some research about what the CLC was, she was excited to join.
Matos-Gonzalez loves the friendships and closeness that the CLC has fostered. They have a group chat where they can go to each other for anything.
“I just want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Martin Tadlock, Ms. Kathleen-Gibson and Ms. Caryn Nesmith for believing in us and making CLC happen,” Matos-Gonzalez said. “I am eager to find out what the next four years at USF St. Petersburg have in store for me, but I think I have an idea: greatness.”
