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Throughout the four years of being at college, the idea of being involved is heavily stressed to students. There are activity fairs, so many different clubs to join, and events always happening on campus. But what benefits come along with being involved? I asked this question to Bentley University, fourth-year student, Araceli Sandoval, to discover the answer.
Araceli is a marketing major with a double minor in Spanish for business as well as information design and corporate communication (IDCC). Her involvement on campus includes being President of the Undergraduate Admissions Ambassador Program, Vice President of Learning and Development of her sorority, Kappa Delta, and being an Orientation Leader. Through her involvement, Araceli has become an excellent role model to students at Bentley.
By being President of the UGA Ambassador Program, Araceli manages 60+ tour guides by creating the schedules for campus tours. As president, she is extremely involved with the hiring training and overseeing the program with her manager.
Araceli explained to me why she chose to take a leadership position through the UGA Ambassador Program. Here is what she had to say:
I am a first-generation college student so the whole college process was stressful and confusing for me. I relied heavily on the tours for information about colleges and to see which college would be the best fit for me. The Bentley tour convinced me to attend Bentley University. From that moment forward, I wanted to become a tour guide to give back to other potential students who may be having the same stresses and confusion that I had. Now, I get to be a positive role model for other tour guides and also do what the Bentley tour guides did for me, so it really has been a full-circle experience.
In being Vice President of Learning and Development for Kappa Delta, Araceli works alongside seven other council members on a daily basis, and also adheres to the national guidelines that need to be followed while planning member processes and workshops. Specifically, Araceli oversees bid day, where Kappa Delta welcomes 30+ new members. Within this responsibility, she plans everything from decorations and food to what activities will be taking place throughout the day. She expressed how rewarding it is to see the ideas and planning come to life which allowed her to execute a successful event that the entire sorority of over 100 members can enjoy.
Araceli is also an orientation leader where she is tasked with welcoming a group of incoming students to the Bentley Community. One question I asked Araceli was how being an orientation leader has helped her uphold the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are values that employers stress. Here is what she had to say:
With being an orientation leader, you have no control over who is in your group. You need to make sure everyone is comfortable and included in some way. I look at interactions while I am not involved and see which new student may need some encouragement as it is my job to make sure everyone is included. Being an orientation leader helps uphold the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion since all these new students are from different places and upbringings. Everyone has a different story, so you don’t know what people are going through, which impacts group dynamics.
Next, I asked Araceli about how she incorporates her involvement in interviews. She said that by holding high positions within organizations, there are many moving parts, so she is always in communication with different people. For instance, in interviews, she highlights her communication, time management skills, and conflict resolution strategies because of her involvement on Bentley’s campus.
Holding high positions in different organizations, Araceli has been able to see the development in her interpersonal skills throughout the years. Here is how she put it:
I’m so much more confident in being open with new people. By being in charge of the incoming class of Kappa Delta, it is my job to make sure the new members feel welcomed and that the transition for them is as smooth as possible. I must be comfortable with them immediately which has led me to not only show, but also be confident in my personality at a quicker rate.
Through Araceli’s involvement, she has been able to open multiple doors, such as taking advantage of professional development opportunities at Bentley. As president of UGA, Araceli had the honor of being a panelist at the recent Women in Business Summit. Here, she was able to talk to a crowd of prospective families and share how she has grown throughout her time at Bentley.
Along with being a panelist, Araceli also explained to me that through her involvement, she has been able to leverage the personal connections she is creating on campus. For instance, she has solid relationships with multiple professors. She was even able to secure one of her internships through her relationship with her sales professor. (Click here to learn more about the importance of connecting with your professors).
The last question I asked Araceli was what advice she has for students who want to become more involved. This is her take on it:
If it interests you, why not seek out a little bit more of what it is about? You don’t lose anything from learning more about something. People are so much more capable of what they think they are. You need to prove to yourself that you can do it. It won’t be perfect, and no part has ever been perfect for me, but it is about learning where you have gone wrong and how you prevent that in the future. At the end of the day, if you come out learning something, you are still winning.
Overall, Araceli is an extremely accomplished and involved student at Bentley University. Through her leadership positions, she has been able to create change on campus. Araceli is continuing to leave her mark at Bentley and her involvement on campus has led her to great professional opportunities.
Learn more about Araceli by connecting with her on LinkedIn here.
