In spring of 2021, the community engagement office’s graduate assistant invited me to join the club he oversaw, Mavs in Action. I thought participating in the club could make for an excellent honors experience, so I decided to join. Since I struggle with social anxiety, I also thought I should take the opportunity to connect and meet with new people. The group met every Thursday afternoon for an hour to discuss various volunteering opportunities in the community, as well as to complete small service projects. Some of the projects and activities we hosted and participated in were the Free Farmer’s Market, Rasmussen Woods Cleanup, Socktober, the Maverick Day of Service, MLK Day of Service, Cards for Kids, and many others. I was primarily a quiet participant and since I was a new member, I didn’t take on any leadership roles. Instead, I acted as a follower while observing the interactions between myself and others, and how leadership styles factored in. However, I eventually took on a leadership role, taking my experience from the development level of leadership to the application level.

 

Most of the club’s leaders utilized a more laid-back style of leadership, which seemed to mesh well with the group members’ personalities. It was a very small group filled with individuals who were ready and motivated to dive into projects without a large amount of prompting. Although the graduate student in charge was firm in his instructions and guidance, the group members’ motivated and responsible personalities also allowed for humor and an easy-going atmosphere. Observing this made me realize that I enjoy working in small groups with environments like these, and a leadership style that is firm yet not overly serious is one that I’d like to emulate. Although it may not work as well in larger, more diverse groups, it appeared to be very effective. I feel this could be due to a general feeling of mutual trust that was instilled among members.

I didn’t imagine myself as a formal leader of the group, but in fall of 2021, the service secretary position became vacant, and I decided to take a leap and apply. During the first few weeks, I didn’t feel much like a leader. Most of the work I did was behind the scenes, such as taking attendance, keeping a membership roster, and logging service hours for student volunteers. However, as time went on and Mavs in Action continued to develop a more organized leadership team, I was able to become comfortable in my role. Small team meetings among the leaders allowed me to practice voicing my opinion and proposing project ideas of my own. Now, I can comfortably speak my mind in regular club meetings with multiple members present, and I’m willing to give advice to others regarding my experience in the organization. Mavs in Action has been an excellent experience working in a team in a non-job and non-academic setting, and I’m looking forward to helping mentor my replacement before I graduate.