MEINIG FAMILY CORNELL NATIONAL SCHOLARS
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
En-chi Angela Hsu '10
Human Ecology
16 April 2007
I did not enjoy my first two weeks at Cornell. I had never seen the school before I stepped foot on it, and while the people were friendly, they were still distanced and removed. At the end of the second week, it hit an all new low as I had just found out that one of my mentors from high school and camp counselor had committed suicide. Dealing with grief and loneliness, I honestly considered what it would be like to transfer home. But that weekend, I also attended the first orientation session for an organization on campus called AIESEC. While the original French acronym is no longer used, the organization still stands on its founding as a student-run group created to prevent the horrors of World War II from ever happening again, determined to bring together different cultures and students and better the state of our world.
Suddenly, my Cornell experience changed completely. I had met people so similar to myself in values, morals, beliefs, and dreams, and found a place where my efforts would result in true changes. While our goals may seem lofty, optimistic, or overambitious, AIESEC rests on a network of exchange, the idea that sending students abroad will allow them a whole new experience of seeing different people of different cultures. And our efforts are visible…the results are seen in our membership, in our reputation, and in our members’ unbelievable potential. By being part of this group, I felt like a part of Cornell, and thus I found my place in this community as an individual, as a student, and as a leader.
AIESEC, a global network of 50,000 members across more than 90 countries and territories at more than 800 universities world-wide, provides over 5,000 leadership positions and delivers over 350 conferences every year. The exchange program enables over 3,500 students and recent graduates the opportunity to live and work in another country. And underlying all of this was the belief that we, as students, had to power to drive such an organization towards the cause of international cooperation. AIESEC established itself due to a genuine desire to make a difference and stays true to that mission. Unlike many other groups, AIESEC does not belittle its goals and instead faces them with energy, passion, and ambition.
Soon after I joined, I applied for the position of vice president of marketing and by January 2007, I was leading a brand new team. AIESEC Cornell had never had a marketing team before, but as we saw ourselves rapidly growing, I took the chance to step forward, become more involved, and have a stake in our future as an organization. As I sat with the team leaders, we set short term and long term goals for ourselves, and I became completely committed to devoting myself to this organization.
As Marketing Team Leader, I have experienced the entire spectrum of leadership successes and failures, and I am proud to say that I believe the role has further shaped me as a leader while supporting the LC (local community) as a whole. With no previous history as a team, the responsibilities and role of marketing have been unclear at times. But it has forced the team and me to utilize creativity and flexibility in our positions, developing this team and our role within the LC, learning as we go. As our work continues to aid our community in accomplishing our goals and reaching out to more students, I will continue to feel pride at helping raise up that team and arrange ourselves within the LC.
Also early in the semester, I accepted the position of Organizing Committee President (OCP) for the Regional Spring Conference in March. It was for about 80 students, held for one weekend in a hotel, providing seminars, lectures, and social events to bring different members from schools like Yale, NYU, and George Washington together to collaborate and brainstorm. In January, five weeks before the conference, no one had stepped up to organize it. Because the fall conference had made such an impact on me, I accepted the role and quickly began organizing a committee of four other students from different universities, contacting hotels, developing contracts, negotiating deals, reaching out to more universities, promoting the conference, and finalizing details. That experience only further cemented my commitment to AIESEC and its mission.
The role that AIESEC has played in my life is beyond any expectations I ever had, and I continue to feel this way as I imagine my participation in the future. While I have barely been in AIESEC for a full school year, it feels like I have understood the mission and vision, and known the members, for much longer. Every experience I have surprises me, and pushes me to reach a little farther and question myself, personally and professionally. I know my AIESEC Experience is nowhere near finished, and the very idea that countless opportunities, roles, and events lie ahead of me is exhilarating, to say the least. This past month, I applied to be the Local Community President next year, and was selected by a board of students and faculty advisors. I believe the role of LCP will support me in developing my skills, further connect me with the AIESEC network, and inspire me to continue working for AIESEC’s vision and Cornell’s success as an LC. At the same time, I’d love for my experience in AIESEC to include aiding other members in developing their experiences, sharing my energy, passion, and dedication with my peers and fellow members.
This year, I’ve been able to watch AIESEC develop internally. First, we increased our LC and gained strength through member retention. We set high expectations for ourselves through our LC vision and goals, and held each other accountable for achieving these standards. Next term, I would personally like to develop AIESEC externally. As LCP, I will make it a priority to market AIESEC to the Cornell and Ithaca community even more, staking out and building networks that will fortify our position as a student and professional organization. I will continue to pursue connections, build on them, and seek even more opportunities for AIESEC to truly become a truly campus-wide recognized organization.
I came into college with the mentality of the high school leadership hierarchy—the idea that you only get to be the formal leader when you become a senior, or a junior at least. That is, quite honestly, how high school organizations work. But to my surprise and delight, AIESEC has offered me the challenge of a lifetime, and one of the greatest leadership opportunities that I have ever had. I have learned how to present myself in a whole new way, as a leader with confidence and clear intention, but also as a friend to the members who I adore, respect and admire. Most importantly, though, I have learned first hand that age is not a defining factor for success or accomplishment. I have found an organization that sees the potential in me to become an even stronger leader, and provides endless chances for me to learn, develop, and grow.
