Why do you want to be a Phonathon supervisor?

I love Phonathon, and I want to use my abilities to their full potential. Over the course of this
semester, I have grown in both leadership ability and maturity and feel that now is the optimum time
for me to start leading at the next level. Simply put, I'm ready for this, I want this, and I believe it is
time for me to be a supervisor.
What does being a supervisor mean to you? Talk about how current/past supervisors have made an
impact on you and helped shape you as the Phonathon employee and leader you are.
Being a supervisor means being a main source of energy in the phone room, but also being a main
source of focus. Many supervisors, particularly including but certainly not limited to Carla, Mike, Abbie,
Grace Stauffer, Bethany, Rachel, Taylor, and Jason have provided great examples of how to bring a lot
of fun and enthusiasm to the phone room but also keep the ship running smoothly. Supervisors like
this possess a sort of dual-focus, which is necessary to keep both joy and efficiency in the phone
room simultaneously. Observing the supervisors' collective ability to multitask has inspired me to
become better at listening to my teammates call while on the phone myself, bring joy to the phone
room as best I can while always looking for ways to help other people, and always be ready for
whatever may happen in the phone room.
How would you compare the role of supervisor vs. your current role as team captain, as you
understand them? What new roles or responsibilities entice you to apply for supervisor? In what
way(s) do you feel you might be better suited to be a supervisor at this point than a team captain?
As a captain, I am responsible for energizing, instructing, and encouraging a team of five other callers
+ myself. In addition, captains work with supervisors to cultivate a community of positivity and growth
within the phone room. Right now, most of my energy and focus is directed at 5 people per night,
especially on Wednesday and Thursday. Supervisors are kind of like captains for the entire phone
room, including the captains they have everybody's back, every shift, all shift. In addition, and
perhaps more importantly, supervisors are Brandon's go-to support team. This manifests itself both in
and out of shift in many ways supervisors help coordinate all kinds of Phonathon related events and
activities, perform call monitoring during the shift, do all kinds of behind-the-scenes work, help
manage the actual happenings in the phone room, and basically do whatever Brandon needs.
In lots of ways, I already feel like a go-to person in the Phonathon community I meet with other
callers and captains about ways to improve certain aspects of our calling, talk to Brandon about pretty
much everything related to Phonathon, and am often planning dinners/hangouts/etc. Having the
chance to actually be one of the official supervisors who has official responsibility to do the things I
feel like I already do to a certain extent would be awesome.
Phonathon is full of potential right now. We have many young leaders, myself probably still being
included in that category, although I'm one of the more experienced captains at the moment.
However, I'm on the cusp of being an upperclassman, and know that I have a whole lot to offer the
Phonathon supervisor team. Phonathon needs energetic, passionate leaders to continue its current
skyward trajectory in the future, and I feel like I can put my leadership skills to use more effectively as
a supervisor than as a captain. This is why I feel like my skills are currently better suited to being a
supervisor than being a team captain.
Describe 2-3 of your biggest strengths and how you would use them in this position. How are you a
good candidate? Describe two of your weaknesses and how they would challenge you in this position.
I am very strong in enthusiasm, teaching ability, and multitasking. My exuberance about Phonathon, as
well as about life, helps bring energy to the phone room, as well as to the things I do outside of the

phone room. My passion for all things Phona can make work fun and keep people happy and motivated
to do well. Whenever somebody needs to get better at doing something, I can use the communicative
skills I have been blessed with to explain new ideas and methods for calling. My ability to multitask
would be very useful when Brandon is having a caller eval meeting, the other supervisor in the room is
running the game, the admin is having a caller explain something about a call they just made at the
admin desk, I'm call monitoring, and somebody rings their bell who brings the candy? I bring the
candy, because I can multitask like a boss and everybody else is busy. Seriously though, multitasking is
such an important skill for supervisors to have in the phone room, and my strengths in this area
combined with my enthusiasm and clear communication skills make me a great candidate for this
position.
Sometimes, when explaining things to somebody, I take too long. This is a struggle for me, and it is
one that I'm working to improve on. My over-thoroughness has historically exhibited itself in the
rapport section of my calling, and still pops up at times, but is something I have been trying to fix.
Feeling like I have to cut people off or not quite finish doing something all the way would be a
challenge for me. I'm also working on resisting the urge to push the envelope a little bit too far when it
comes to joking around this is something particularly important to watch for when in a leadership
position, because it's distracting to other people and can serve to decrease efficiency, and is
something I would need to be especially mindful of.
How would your strengths and weaknesses mesh with the returning supervisors (Grace S, Elizabeth,
Jason, Phoebe) or other potential supervisors? What unique aspect could you bring to the team?
I feel like my unique set of attributes would mesh very well with the returning supervisors. It's
important to keep a consistent level of enthusiasm, and I can definitely hold my own in that
department. Elizabeth, Grace, Jason, and Phoebe are all very good at being straight and to the point,
which is something that would be helpful for me to learn from. My multitasking abilities and experience
with call monitoring are things that will be helpful for any supervising partner during the shift, whether
returning or potential. In regards to things that I can add to the current team of returning supervisors,
I think that I have a special kind of enthusiasm for Phonathon that may only be matched by Tori (and
she's not even a returning supervisor). I don't need to explain my level of involvement with Phonathon
extracurriculars and enthusiasm for team contests and just Phona in general, all of that speaks for
itself. The fact that I'm truly interested and genuinely invested in Phonathon has proven itself simply
in the sheer volume of conversation that I have with Brandon (4600+ Facebook messages to date, not
including Gmail chat). I can be a go-to person, someone always excited about what's going on at
Phonathon, always wanting to contribute whatever I can, and always passionate about helping
everyone get better at what we're doing.
Which current supervisor (Bethany, Jason, Phoebe, Jocelyn) do you think does the best at their job,
and why? Which current supervisor do you think couldve improved the most at their job, and how?
I think that Bethany is the best supervisor. Besides having the most experience, she never seems to
carry baggage from outside Phonathon into shift, always acts enthusiastic, is very good at being
attentive and helpful, and maintains excellent control of the phone room.
I think Jocelyn could have improved the most at her job. Sometimes she seems overwhelmed by things
that are going on in her life or distracted by other things unrelated to Phonathon during shift, which
can affect enthusiasm and general happiness.
Talk about some of your successes and struggles as a team captain and phone room leader this year.
What are some specific ways you have seen your teammates (or others youve invested in) grow or
develop both on and off the phones? What are some ways youve seen yourself grow?

I've done a great job helping my teams have fun together. The Frenchies genuinely enjoy each others'
company (we're planning a bowling hangout as I type this), which was one of my big goals for this
year. We've seen statistical success, particularly during Olympics, and hopefully from this point on
through the end of the year. I've been able to really connect well with each individual caller at least
once (most more than once) at some point during the year and talk about calling stuff, which has
been great. Having Jesse on T7 and getting to really invest in him with Josiah has been great, and he's
told me that seeing other people, particularly team captains, outside Phonathon has been especially
helpful for him and his development as a caller. Bubbles really seems to enjoy being with everyone, but
her confidence on the phones/her stats just aren't what they could be. It's been a struggle not being
able to invest in her as much as I would like to, as it still feels like she's not quite letting herself be as
good at Phona as she could be, and I feel like I could help her a whole lot if I had more time and she
was more open.
Things have definitely been a little different for the UpgrAsians this year, with Daniel and Rocco both
missing so much work due to the passing of Graham, Dotcom being in her rut, Meaghan being a new
caller, and Frank being busy with CLC stuff. We've definitely been doing well statistically the last few
weeks, and it's been encouraging to see us leap from the middle of the road on Thursday into a viable
contender for TOTW/perhaps a TOTM award. Frank has seen definite flashes of brilliance, and I think
that sitting next to him every week and listening to whatever calls of his I can/offering my advice and
feedback is beginning to pay off. Daniel has been improving so much, especially in his confidence on
the phones, but also statistically. I hope that Rocco and Daniel come back soon, because we all miss
them. Having two missing team members has been a struggle, but we're making it work for now. It's
been good to stay connected with them during their sabbatical, and while my investment in their lives
has much more to do with the fact that we're friends than the fact that we're teammates, I know that
being there for them will bring nothing but good things when they do return to the phones.
Personally, I feel like this semester has been an enormous one of growth for myself. I've been
extremely intentional about channeling my energy into other people instead of onto myself. I think this
has made me a less visible presence in the phone room, but it has also made me a more impactful one.
Trying to break down the Look at me mindset to which I fall so easily has been difficult, but I feel
that I'm a much more mature person and a more effective leader as a result. My level of enthusiasm
about Phonathon is still just as high as ever and the amount of energy I provide is still the same, but
instead of being pinpointed on myself, my energy is more spread around my teammates and other
callers/captains. I know this is something that has helped me grow, and believe that it would help me
in the context of supervising the entire phone room.
List a few things that you might change or update about Phonathon. Please consider all Phonathon
aspects including training, motivation, nightly procedures, and supervision.
The first thing I would change is a change that has already been made making supervisors call. I can't
remember if we've talked about this or not (I think we have), but the benefit of this change is
something I've been pretty adamant about this semester in particular. For motivation, I think it would
be pretty great to give the doziest team of the week something sweet like a free scoop of ice cream
at Sam's each one scoop costs 85 at most, so we'd be spending a grand total of $5/week on ice
cream, which seems totally affordable. If it's too much for Phona's budget, I would even be willing to
personally finance it as long as I got to go with the team...haha. One-scoop winner of the week... it
has potential.
How would you handle a conflict with a caller during a shift? This could be a problem with the caller
not being productive, not following rules, returning late from breaks, etc.

I'm more than happy to graciously tell somebody they're doing something wrong. If the problem is
continuous, I'm also okay with using my adult voice. The supervisors are in charge of the room. I
personally appreciate seeing the people in charge have control of the room, and I would make sure to
keep things running smoothly by reasonably asserting myself as an authority figure when a caller is
causing problems.
Which 3-5 current non-captain callers would you consider for promotion to Team Captain and why?
What 1 or 2 callers arent ready yet but strike you as having long term captain or supervisor
potential?
Promote now: 1) Ellen. She's good at calling and loves Phonathon. As long as we get the attitude of AQuad Ellen from this spring and the calling of last fall Ellen, we'll be golden. 2) Kayla. She's had a
pretty awfully good run this semester/quad, and if she wants to be captain, I think she's earned a shot
to do it for at least a night. 3) Madeleine. She applied (prematurely) for it once already, and I think her
calling is progressing to the point where she could legitimately lead a team as a one-night captain,
especially with the help with a strong supporting caller. 4) Natalie. Yeah. 5) Pepper. Again, she's been
doing this for awhile, and I think if she decided to really go all in and be a captain, she could totally do
it. Calling at least one other night would definitely be a must for her if she was going to captain,
though. Note: These are in alphabetical order, not any kind of ranking. If I were to rank them, I would
go Natalie, Ellen, Kayla, Pepper, Madeleine.
Promote later: There are lots of names I could put here, but I think Julian and Xander are two guys
who could really develop into good leaders at Phonathon. The whole J-Yo thing has been great, and I
just see so much potential in Xander. I hope he taps into it. Also, I definitely see Rocco as being a
great candidate for supervisor down the road.
Which 2-3 potential supervisor applicants (Alex, Avery, Josiah, Mary, Sarah, Tori) would you hire for
supervisor for next year, and why?
Tori and me. If Sarah wasn't studying abroad and could be a little less busy outside of Phonathon, I
would definitely put her as a 3rd candidate. Tori and I both have a crazily high level of enthusiasm for
Phonathon, and it makes sense to promote Tori, given that she just won COTS last semester, is a
fantastic team leader, and has so much love for Phona. Sarah definitely has calling down to a T, and
her two semesters of experience as a captain along with her practical outside experience as a tutor
would serve her well as a supervisor.
Scheduling for supervisors is very structured, and no call-ins are allotted. Supervisors are expected to
work at least 2 shifts a week (6-10) and often on Saturdays and must never be late. How do you see
this working with your schedule this fall? What shifts do you anticipate being available to be
scheduled for? Note that supervisor scheduling is often tight, so flexibility here will maximize your
chances.
My schedule this fall does not, to my knowledge, include any firmly required activities during the
evening. There will be periodic gatherings and times of evening fellowship with Shalom Community, but
I believe those are relatively flexible and can be scheduled at our convenience. I am completely open
to supervising on any weeknight, and would be more comfortable without having a permanent shift on
Saturday simply due to the fact that the most convenient time for Shalom Community gatherings is
likely to be on Saturday.
Talk a bit about how you see Phonathon fitting into your remaining time at Wheaton, as best as you
can guess for now. Be sure to mention any other significant time commitments you foresee next
semester or beyond.

I see Phonathon being a key aspect of my involvement at Wheaton during the remainder of my time
here. I don't plan on studying abroad at any point, nor am I planning on running for student
government or joining a varsity sport, so there will be time for Phonathon. I no longer need an
internship because of switching my major to Comm, so working at Phona during the school year will
probably remain my main form of employment over the next two years.
If you have previously applied for supervisor and didnt get it, why do you feel like you should be
chosen this time? In what way have you grown or are more prepared for the position now?
This semester has been an incredible time of personal growth for me. Not getting RA and not getting
supervisor definitely enlightened me to the fact that I have not, in fact, arrived, nor am I likely to
arrive at any point in my life. There's always room to grow and mature, and I have definitely been
intentional about doing so this semester. I am more focused on other people at Phonathon, channel
my energy into other people/teammates, and have done my best not to be loud or inappropriate to
the point of distraction in the phone room while still maintaining a high level of enthusiasm. I have
become a more responsible leader and captain, want to continue learning and improving in my
leadership abilities, and am ready to be a supervisor at Phonathon.
How do you think you would respond if you were not promoted to a supervisor position for this fall?
I would be disappointed. I care about Phonathon enough to continue being a captain with all the same
enthusiasm I have right now in the event that I were not promoted to supervisor, but I do think I have
earned a promotion.
What is your favorite thing about Phonathon?
The people! All the people at Phonathon are great as President Ryken put it, we're the Cream of the
cream of the crop. I love coming to work knowing that even if I had a bad day, the people I'm about
to see care about me, I can still do my job well and have fun, and we're doing something worth all the
time and energy we put into our work. I also love getting paid to play frisbee golf...Hunger
Games...Fishbowl...Name Game...Survivor...Phear Phactor (please PLEASE)...Mafia...Four On a
Couch...yeah. Work hard, play hard. They used to call Phonathon the best-kept secret at Wheaton. I
think it's more accurate to call it Wheaton's best-leaked secret right now, and it's no secret at all
that I am its biggest fan.