Journey Leaders
For many years, student staff in New Student and Family Programs have carried the title of Journey Leader. In the Spring 2018 New Student Orientation, Journey Leaders held small group conversations for new students for the first time. These conversations fostered a higher sense of belonging and openness to diversity, equity, and inclusion than prior events - and from there, the Journey Leader Program was born.
Journey Leaders are a team of outstanding student leaders selected to support new students and their families as students transition into college. Journey Leaders complete extensive training in leadership skills, including diversity and inclusion, conflict resolution, and problem solving. Since 2018, more than 275 students have participated in the Journey Leader program, which has supported every incoming student in that time.
In the current iteration of the program, Journey Leaders complete a 1-credit leadership class in the spring semester. The Journey Leader Class curriculum is based on a model of emotionally intelligent leadership, covering topics such as empathy in leadership, conflict resolution, and giving and receiving feedback. The course allows Journey Leaders to practice the skills of leadership over the course of several weeks, observing how they use the skills in their day to day life and building on topics from previous weeks. Data from the course has shown that Journey Leaders who complete the course have a greater understanding of their values, their identities, and empathy, and the course increases the number who identify with the statement “I am a leader.”
Journey Leaders then have the option to work New Student and Family Programs’ in person and virtual summer events (Buff2Buff, Camp Chip, and College Connection), and the entire cohort returns to campus in early August to welcome new students during Fall Welcome. Journey Leaders support new students through small group conversations, ranging from the fun and bizarre (is a hotdog a sandwich?) to the more obvious, preparatory topics, such as normalizing the difficulty of transitioning to a new institution as a first year, transfer, or graduate student. Journey Leaders also facilitate Fall Welcome’s large Signature Events, which are designed to welcome the entire incoming class at once. At these events, Journey Leaders might be making snow cones, leading athletics chants at a volleyball game or in Folsom Field, or leading students to College Day events - but they’re also increasing students’ connection to campus, connection to traditions, and sense of belonging.
Journey Leaders who want to continue their development can apply to be Journey Leader Mentors. The Mentor team is smaller - 8-9 Mentors for a cohort of around 60 Journey Leaders. Mentors co-teach the Journey Leader Class, help with training, and complete projects throughout the year to build community within the Journey Leader team. Mentors also design and execute events alongside and under the mentorship of the professional staff, contributing to curriculum for Journey Leaders and new students. A former Journey Leader Mentor, Hunter Sherraden, won the Student Employee of the Year award in 2021, recognizing his outstanding work - through a pandemic! - and excellent leadership. Both Journey Leaders and Mentors also go on to use their leadership foundation on other teams across campus, becoming leaders in Residence Life, Student Ambassadors, the Volunteer Resource Center, and more.
As proud as New Student and Family Programs is of the impact Journey Leaders have, the team is also incredibly proud of the community within the program. A former Journey Leader said, “We're family, and I really can't say anything better to capture the community and support I have found with some of the most energetic, kind and dedicated people I have the honor of working alongside. I walked into it hoping to foster a community for incoming students and families, and I was lucky enough that I got to do that while finding a community for myself. I can confidently say it's the single most worthwhile opportunity I've ever decided to take, and I am so thankful these are the people I get to call my peers.”
New Student and Family Programs will soon be hiring the next cohort of Journey Leaders! Know someone who would be an amazing Journey Leader? Please nominate them or share our website!