As you think of your future career, do you dream of working in leadership roles? Do you hope to take steps that include supporting and inspiring others in your field, or do you see yourself volunteering for leading in your community?
If you’ve ever pictured yourself in a leadership position, you may have also wondered how to get there. How does one develop those skills and gain the experience to become a good leader? What can you do now to ensure you’re on a leadership-focused path?
Colorado State has many avenues to help you explore leadership, including some that are built into your academic programs, or can be added on as concentrations or minors. You also have opportunities to join programs and clubs centered around leader development. Read on to learn about getting on the leadership track at CSU.
#1. Colorado State ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
Considered one of the nation’s top leadership-development programs, the ROTC can provide prime leadership development, as well as an array of other character-building skills and achievements to create a robust, leadership-focused resume.
Army ROTC
Colorado State’s Army ROTC program prepares you to receive a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. It includes leadership development, military skills, and adventure training. This will take place both in the classroom and in the field, but you will have a normal daily schedule like all college students. The program still allows you to learn in the major of your choice, and has classes and labs that can fit your schedule. Many students spend all four college years in the Army ROTC, but you can join at any time. The ROTC can skyrocket your leadership skills and provide you with career options after graduation, as well.
Air Force ROTC
Colorado State’s Air Force ROTC program has a mission to develop resilient leaders, offering the opportunity for cadets to commission as an officer in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force. The Air Force ROTC is a four-year program that runs alongside your college schedule. In your first two years, you’ll work on general training and field training, taking courses like air force history, ethical decision making, and team building. Your following two years consist of leader-focused training and coursework, including supervision and mentoring, bias training, self-awareness courses, and leadership responsibility. You’ll come out of the program with job offers in management-level air force positions right alongside your CSU degree and academic training.
#2. President’s Leadership Program (PLP)
If you hope to gain leadership experience in college while making a difference, CSU’s President’s Leadership Program is the perfect place for you.
PLP is a three-year, 14-credit leader development experience for undergrads. Its mission is to create active, informed civic leaders. Students leave the program with skills in ethical, inclusive leadership, and characteristics such as optimism, service to others, passion, mindfulness, and fairness.
If you join and participate in the program for the full three year, you’ll earn a minor in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies to add to your academic degree.
#3. CSU Eco Leaders Program
If your leadership dreams include some green-tinted goals, CSU’s Eco Leaders Program is the place to start.
The Eco Leaders Peer Education program at Colorado State is a group of students who live on campus and strive to keep CSU as one of the top environmentally friendly campuses in the world. In the program, you’ll be an Eco Leader in your residential hall, and be a part of a larger group of residential eco leaders all working together to increase and improve sustainability. In addition to leading and encouraging your residents in sustainability, you’ll develop crucial skills required of leaders, including problem solving, on-the-go innovation, and the passion that elevates leaders to inspire their teams.
As an Eco Leader at CSU, you’ll receive a stipend for your work, and can earn academic credit for your time and dedication. On top of it all, you’ll come out of the program with a slew of leadership skills and experiences right alongside your achievements to improve the environment for future generations.
#4. ASCSU (Associated Students of Colorado State University)
You didn’t think we’d forget this one, did you? Often in academic settings, student government is one of the first thoughts you might have when thinking about leadership development — and there’s a reason for that! Joining student government in school is often the first way people get a taste for leadership. You can expect a thriving, robust student government experience at CSU with ASCSU, complete with campaigns, elections, face time with CSU and local/state key decision makers.
As an elected member of student government, you’ll become the voice of the students, advocating for CSU students at all levels of government. ASCSU oversees student fees for campus programming, athletics, and a wide variety of services such as RamRide, Transport, media publication, and much more.
You can expect growth and deep development in your leadership skills as you and your peers work together with campus and state/national leaders to advocate for your classmates. In addition to gaining valuable budget and funding knowledge, you’ll learn about representation, policy and policy change, resource management, and how to support your constituents. This is one for the top of the resume, for sure.
