Cai Diggs

The campus visit was awesome! What inspired me the most is the leadership workshop conducted by Antonio Silas. It showed me how there are many different types of leadership and that not everyone leads the same way. There was emphasis on how there is no leadership strategy that is better than another, it just really depends on the context in which it is used. It inspired me to be confident in my leadership style and to start considering myself a leader. Way too often, people associate extroverted characteristics with leadership, but Antonio showed me how everyone is and can be a leader in some aspect of their lives. The workshops with both Antonio and Miles were great because they allowed me to begin a process of self reflection. I started to question my values, leadership style, and communication methods. The process of reflection left me with clarity on the type of leader and collaborator I wish to be.

This is a photo of the workshop done by Antonio Silas.

I also was inspired by the Zoo Lab. It demonstrated to me how cool insects are and that, oftentimes, people are scared of the things they don't understand. When I was young, I hated insects. I believed them to be annoying, unpleasant, and disgusting. But as I grew wiser and learned more about the roles and importance of insects, I grew fond of them. I entered the Zoo Lab liking insects, and left the Zoo Lab being fascinated by them.

This is a picture of the extension cohort at the Zoo Lab.

One thing I can practice during my internship to support being the leader I aspire to be is to listen to people around me. I want to be the type of leader that is perceptive to the concerns of the people I am leading. I cannot be perceptive without actively listening to questions, concerns, and suggestions. This can include asking lab mates for opinions on how to tackle projects we are working together on.

This is a picture of a green roof at UMD.