As part of Leadership Week, instructor of nursing Laura Reyher gave a talk about moving forward with your goals despite the letdowns.

The importance of good leadership was highlighted through examples of individuals surviving the holocaust, surviving tragedy and overcoming disappointment. Leaders will go on despite the odds, and no matter the failures leaders will never let a poor grade, or immense tragedy allow them to give up. To move forward is more important, so as to build a better future. Leadership involves being ready to learn and to grow, despite not being a born leader.

In an interview Reyher said, “I think a leader is someone who understands where the people are in the trenches.”

This encapsulates the perseverance talk, as all the examples used during the presentation included individuals who had known suffering, and lived to see another day.

In addition to this, people skills may be deemed an added bonus to leadership. Reyher said, “I have always enjoyed being around people. I’m very much a people person.”

Reyher has been a floor nurse and a field nurse, so people-skills have come into good use for leadership.

The organizers of the event, Abbykate Sears, senior agricultural media and communication, Cayla Koak, senior nursing and Hannah Scarborough, senior agricultural media and communications and West Texas A&M University student body vice president, were also able to be interviewed. Sears, Koak and Scarborough discussed being able to, “use all of our different diverse interests,” in order to come together and organize events, sometimes a semester in advance. Collaboration, communication and teamwork all coincide to allow for Sears, Koak and Scarborough to create events that center around the student body.

Leadership week hosted a number of events that were made to encourage students to think more about leadership, and even apply for some leadership roles.