MEINIG FAMILY CORNELL NATIONAL SCHOLARS
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Randi Goldman
Engineering '07
Upon arriving at Cornell, I was overwhelmed with the numerous activities I could easily become involved in, but where would I focus my attention? Did I want to be athletically involved? Help out the community? Try something absolutely new and unfamiliar? After much debate, and homesickness, I decided to focus my attention on an activity that would allow me to meet new people while getting a small reminder of home. Little did I know that this club would quickly become not only what I look forward to every week, but also a source for long lasting friendships.
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, is a chance for me to interact with students who are just as enthusiastic about engineering as I am and also share the same Hispanic experiences and cultural customs. As a "general body member" I honestly did not think that I could have that much of an impact on such a popular and well lead organization. However, I quickly learned that the leadership qualities I showed as a general body member evolved into various leadership positions that impacted not only Cornell, but also surrounding chapters within upstate New York. In early October I volunteered to organize the first ever Spring Leadership Colloquium, which is open to ten other universities in the upstate New York region. The committee for this event, made entirely of freshman, allowed me to dive head first into the task of raising thousands of dollars and interacting directly with important corporate representatives. In early October, only two months into my Cornell career, I was already having lunch with one of the head recruiters for Johnson and Johnson. In order to make this event a success, over five thousand dollars had to be raised. Did we succeed? Of course! Throughout the months of E-mails, phone conferences, and lunch meetings, I learned the importance of being assertive while knowing when to let others take the lead. Part of being a leader includes knowing when to follow, and throughout the process of organizing the Spring Leadership Colloquium, this skill was certainly practiced.
After devoting almost every week since September to SHPE, I have subconsciously devoted my life to this organization. I am currently in the running for club Treasurer and Internal Vice President after being nominated to both positions. As a rising sophomore, the nomination for a position, not to mention two positions, on the club executive board is quite an honor. I feel that the leadership skills that I exhibited as a general body member have allowed me to gain respect with the upperclassmen of the organization.
Although most of my focus with SHPE has been committed to organizing the Spring Leadership Colloquium, dedication to many smaller events has allowed me to view the upperclassmen take charge and be assertive, a skill I am constantly trying to improve upon. I helped to organize the first annual SHPE College Bowl Trivia Challenge. In doing this, I learned not only engineering classroom knowledge, but also how to delegate with "problems" such as technical difficulties and an unruly audience. Also, in early April I attended the Regional Student Leadership Conference in New York City where students from different schools are grouped together to compile a project over the weekend. During this activity, one is forced to interact and successfully achieve a common goal with students one has never met before. Conflict resolution and organization were certainly stressed over this two day period. I have learned so much after only a nine month period of time. The responsibilities that await me are somewhat intimidating; however, the impact I know I will have on others makes me excited for the skills I will acquire over the next four years.
