Student Leader Spotlight
Nominate a student who has gone above and beyond in service and leadership to their respective organizations, or the Carolina community as a whole.
Student Leader Spotlights shine a light on leadership across campus. The Student Leader Spotlight is an ongoing process where a student (or students) is recognized for their great contribution to campus. Recipients selected monthly will be notified, featured in Leadership Programs Newsletter and presented with a certificate of recognition. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to nominate. We also welcome self-nominations.
Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Student Leader Spotlights
Congratulations to our current Student Leader Spotlight!
K.C. McDowell
Senior Telecounselor, Chi Omega, Delta Epsilon Iota
Year: Senior
Major: Public Health
Nominated for: “She seamlessly stepped into her leadership role and is always helping her peers, whether it is with questions they have, or offering feedback about their performance. She is able to make quick decisions, especially when the supervisors are not available. K.C. has been an incredible help in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, always volunteering to help where needed, but more importantly, she has provided a fun and comfortable work environment for her peers in Telecounseling, while still being a role model.”
What K.C. learned: “Being a Senior Telecounselor( with the Admissions Office) has taught me how to communicate more effectively. I have learned to find a balance between being friends and a leader among my peers in a work setting and also making myself more approachable. As Senior Telecounselor I have also learned how to embrace an increase in responsibility in the work place.”
Past Student Leader Spotlights
Andy Dumiak
President, Society of Human Resources Chapter
Year: 2nd year graduate student at the Moore School of Business
Major: Human Resources
Nominated for: "Andy has been instrumental in improving involvement in the SHRM chapter here at the Moore School. During his tenure as president he has enlisted the help of Human Resource professionals across the region as speakers and participants in the organization. The group has worked to include undergraduate students as well as other graduate programs and expand its diversity beyond the Master of Human Resources program. The chapter was given one of the highest honors by National SHRM, The Superior Merit Award for both 2011-2012 and 2010-2011. Much of the reason these awards were granted were based on the effort Andy has put into this org anization. The work he has done has not gone unnoticed by faculty, staff, or students, and it is because of his leadership that the SHRM student chapter is strong and thriving today."
What Andy learned: Being a part of the SHRM USC Executive Board has been a great experience. Serving as president improved my leadership skills, my ability to build relationships with influential professionals, and presented me with opportunities to help others succeed. Receiving the SHRM National Merit Award for 2011-2012 was a team effort that I'm proud to have led. The professional relationships I developed over the last year helped leverage our team's success and enabled us to make a difference in the community. I'm proud that those connections can contribute to the new leadership team's success long after I graduate. Overall I've learned that good leaders inspire teamwork and innovation, leave a lasting legacy, and help others succeed, no matter what the context.
Danielle Minter
President, Fashion Board
Year: Senior
Major: Retail Merchandising
Nominated for: Danielle Minter has worked tirelessly for four years to build Fashion Board into one of the largest and most active student organizations on campus. She has served as an officer for three years and has been a recipient of a Fashion Board scholarship for the last two. Under her leadership, Fashion Board has grown to over 200 members, held sucesful Fashion Weeks each spring at USC, which included bringing in prominent speakers for symposiums, hosting huge boutique fashion shows, initiating a student designer show and award, and raising funds to launch a student scholarship program. She is a dedicated and accomplished president and presents a great face for Fashion Board. She is a superb communicator, has great interpersonal skills, and never asks her team to do anything she would not do. She is a motivating leader and a great representative of our organization.
What Danielle learned: I have been a member of Fashion Board since the beginning of my freshman year and it is amazing how much this organization has helped me develop my leadership skills. I joined because of my interest in fashion and for the opportunities to hear career advice from other retail majors; however, I have gotten so much more out of it. I have been on Exec for 3 years now, as Executive Assistant, as VP of Programming and now as President and each position has really pushed me to accomplish more and helped me recognize my ability to connect with others and help them become leaders as well. In addition, it has connected me with many other individuals at USC from other organizations and helped me feel like I make a difference on such a large campus.
Alesia McFarlin
Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.
Year: Senior
Major: Nursing
Nominated for: The mission of our student organization, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, is to provide “Service for Humanity”. Alesia McFarlin embodies these principles in her dedication to community service and her leadership skills in this organization. She has been a true asset in her role as president. She is always on task organizing community service projects and bringing new ideas to the organization. Alesia is always willing to participate in any event that gives back to the community. She is dedicated to our professional sorority and the principles we hold to elevate the profession of nursing.
Alesia takes her work in the community very seriously. She always takes the lead to go out into the community and advocate health and wellness. One our organizations goals are promoting heart healthy awareness in the community which is a leading cause of death in South Carolina. Alesia organizes and assists our members in participating in events focused on blood pressure screenings and education. Her ability to collaborate with her fellow sorors shows her ability to create a great working environment where members can work together cohesively on important tasks.
Alesia’s talents in the classroom and community have awarded her various opportunities to publicly speak about the importance of nursing in the community. She has earned her place among other academically successful students by achieving recognition on the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and Sigma Theta Tau. Alesia is a strong leader and excels as a student. Recognition of her talents and achievements are well deserved.
What Alesia Learned: “Learning experiences I encounter on a daily basis in the field of nursing help me to become a more effective and understanding leader. Exemplifying a strong character, being passionate about my education, and developing close relationships with my professors and colleagues allow me to share and encourage others in my organization to do the same.”
Roshni Rao
President, Indian Student Organization
Year: 4th Year PhD Student
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Nominated for: “Roshni manages to combine studies with extracurricular activities and finds the time to balance working on her PhD along with the two student organizations. She is able to perfectly take on the role as president for the organization, since she brings great ideas to the table and manages the input of the executive team and the members very well in order to achieve the goals for the organization.”
What Roshni learned: As the President of the Indian Student Organization, I have learned that the amount of hard work, commitment and innovation one puts into a cause, yields equal and opposite rewards. In addition, I have also learned that the success of any venture, is dependent on the team that drives it and I am grateful that I have had a wonderful team to work and grow with.