HDF 190: FLITE (First-Year Leaders Inspired to Excellence)

URI Minor in Leadership Studies, Center for Student Leadership Development

Core Requirement for the Leadership Minor

Learning Contract

Goal: To utilize my strengths of learner, positivity, input, achiever, and responsibility along with
my values of hope, humor, kindness, teamwork, and zest during my time as a Leadership
Ambassador that aligns with the mission, vision, values and sponsored programs and activities of
URI’s Center for Student Leadership Development. In addition, my goal was to show
prospective URI first years what the Leadership department at this university has to offer
students.

Evidence: A picture of me representing the Center for Student Leadership Development at a URI
Welcome Day for admitted high school seniors with other Leadership Ambassadors.
Activity:
I became a Leadership Ambassador for the Center for Student Leadership Development
(CSLD) and represented them on the University of Rhode Island’s Welcome Days for admitted
high school seniors and their families. I attended two Welcome Days in the Ryan Center and
spoke to several seniors about the opportunities the leadership department at URI has to offer
first-year students. I worked in a team of other leadership ambassadors, as well as with two
advisors for the event and Professor Vincent.
I used my strengths of learner and input to learn information about CSLD and seniors,
and archive it. When talking to seniors, I was genuinely interested in their thoughts and concerns
on college and wanted to help them in any way I could. This plays into my value of kindness in
that I not only discussed the leadership opportunities at URI, but also gave them advice about
college in general in order to ease their nerves through the transition. I have received some great
advice from upperclassmen that has really helped me and it would be amazing if I could pass it
down to help others. Furthermore, a couple of days before the Welcome Days, I went on the
CSLD website and made sure I knew information about the opportunities the department offers. I
stored this information, as well as information on my fellow Leadership Ambassadors’ strengths,
in order to facilitate conversations between seniors and myself and match seniors with the best
ambassador for them. I used my value of humor to make jokes and keep the energy light and
positive. As a first-year having gone through walking around to different organizations at
Welcome Day just one year, I know that it can all be overwhelming and intimidating. In order to
relieve some tension and make the seniors feel more comfortable, I made sure to crack a few
jokes to get them laughing. My strength of positivity and my value of zest helped me show my
passion for the organization I was representing. I was enthusiastic in conversations that
questioned my choice to represent leadership and the path I am choosing in minoring in
leadership studies. This energy rubbed off on seniors and got them excited for their future in
college and the opportunities they have with the Center for Student Leadership Development.
Moreover, I helped seniors who were otherwise nervous about college, be more open and excited
about their future. Throughout the event, I checked in with my fellow ambassadors and gave
them words of encouragement and keep the environment positive. Using my value of hope, I
discussed how the URI Leadership department has several opportunities to offer (Leadership
Institutes Challenge and Service, Leadership Minor, North Woods Challenge Course) that will
help them not only in their future careers, but also as a student at the university. Throughout the
event, I worked with a team of other Leadership Ambassadors, Leadership Ambassador
Advisors, and Professor Vincent. We were strategic in creating our plan for the days by matching
up a senior with a Leadership Ambassador that had something in common with them. For
example, Robert, my peer leader and advisor for the event, matched me up with another nursing
major. This helped the senior hone in on any questions he had about the nursing program at URI
and how to incorporate the Leadership minor. Additionally, we used a buddy system with one
ambassador haven gone to the Leadership Institute and one that did not go in order for students
to get two different perspectives. Each person on the team had a specific role, and each of us
used our knowledge of each other to match up a senior with the best-qualified ambassador. My
achiever and responsibility strengths had a part in every conversation that I had with a senior. I
made sure to give my best effort and that when the senior and their parents moved on to another
booth, that they felt like they had a well-rounded understanding of the Center for Student
Leadership Development. My duty as a Leadership Ambassador of the CSLD is to provide
accurate information to seniors as well as to represent the department in a professional way. I did
this by providing them with all the information about the two Leadership Institutes and the minor
in Leadership Studies, as well as answering any questions they had in general. Additionally, it
seemed like once I was done with one conversation with a senior and their parents/guardians, I
jumped into another one. I enjoy the feeling of staying busy and productive because that means I
am making a real impact on several people. Overall, I had a great experience as a Leadership
Ambassador and effectively used my strengths and values to show high school seniors the
opportunities URI’s leadership department has to offer as well as build confidence and positive
energy in my team.

Instructor Signature: ____________________________________________

Student Signature: ______________________________________________

Part 2
Note:
In order to receive full credit all students must include the following steps after the activity has
been completed:

Website Tab
Insert “Learning Contract”
Annotation: (Annotation is an outcome- based descriptive detailing your activity, similar
to “descriptive notes” and is written upon completion of your activity.)

Note:
We encourage you to include your learning contract activity and evidence in the Leadership
Inventory as a designated outcome and/or as additional experiences to support descriptive notes.

Possible Experiences:
Challenge Course facilitator training
Leadership Ambassadors
DRIVE Overnight Multicultural Program
Organizing a team to run/walk for a cause (ex. Relay for life etc.)
Service Project – ex. Rotaract
Safe Zone training
SOLC shadow and co-facilitation
Student involvement project
Tour guide training
Appling for Institute Peer Leader (focus on preparing for an interview/being interviewed)