Ciera Gardner

A picture of Ciera holding a tarantula with assistance, taken on 6/26

My experience during the Campus Residency and Research Tour Experience was wonderful. During the two days I was on campus I learned so much on how I can improve my leadership qualities and possible career options I could look into after graduation. I am thinking about leadership in my community. Something I find myself thinking about specifically in my community is gardening and ways I can beautify my campus while also benefiting the students. I know in order to accomplish this, I need to be the first to lead others towards this goal. I have learned a lot during the seminar with Antonio Silas specifically about the various types of leadership.

During his seminar we were asked to write a small paragraph about how we want to lead and I wrote: I would like to assign specific tasks to each person on my team. I will be open to any ideas and suggestions that might make it more efficient to reach our goal. I believe communication is key to a successful team and will create a comfortable environment for my team to express themselves. I will lead with respect, empathy and open-mindedness. The leadership workshops have definitely enhanced my ideas about leadership and allowed me to improve the leadership skills I already possess.

One thing I can practice during my leadership to support me in being the leader I aspire to be is to communicate effectively, clearly and when necessary. I will use my self-thinking skills to solve problems I approach and only reach out to my mentor when necessary. When I do ask my mentor or other staff I will communicate in a way that is clear and concise so there will be no extra time spent on the assistance I need.

A picture of the aquaculture center, taken by Ciera, at UMD campus on 6/27