Second Year: Discovery & Application
- katieecusack
- Dec 31, 2019
- 2 min read
Unveiling your strengths and what drives every step you take is vital towards understanding what contributions you can make as a leader. If you combine your best traits with your skills and interests, the service you do will be more meaningful and your life will be carried out with more purpose. CLDP emphasizes this notion. This year, I am continuing to learn how to directly apply what I have discovered about myself to various areas of my life.
Year 2 Role: Service Chair
Fall Retreat
This picture was taken at a beach house in Topsail, NC, where the first-year and second-year cohorts had our Fall Retreat. Over the course of those few days, I heard about the various backgrounds, passions and values from both new and old members of the group. As a second-year student, I could offer advise to first-years, especially on how to get involved on campus and take risks. I listened to what they were currently struggling with and relayed how I handled those same situations, reassuring them that they are not alone. During this weekend, we also analyzed our Clifton Strengths, which are categorized into themes. My themes are achiever, individualization, activator, intellection and input. What are the pros and cons of them, and how can I make the best of them in leadership roles? How do I see these things carried out throughout my life currently, and how do I plan to carry them out in the future? We compared these themes to our top motivators, mine being complexity and authenticity, and shared them with each other. I loved seeing how other members' strengths and motivators pertained to who they are and their aspirations. Overall, one of my favorite parts of the whole weekend was our ability to have thought provoking, introspective conversations during the day, and then be completely carefree and fun during the evenings. Bonding in these two different, yet monumental ways brought us closer than I had ever imagined possible. I left confident that I can always be vulnerable with this group, while looking forward to making more memories!
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