Although FLO is a part of Student Government, Executive Director Nune Perez said it is important to promote leadership elsewhere in the campus community.
“It’s not just one organization that makes WT, it’s all of them,” Perez said
Perez, a freshman Political Science major, has extensive experience in leadership. Before coming to WT, he served in the Navy for six years and spent four years doing leadership instruction. He is also the Vice President – Secretary of the Veteran’s Network, a campus organization for military veterans.
His passion for leadership led him to become involved with FLO last year at the suggestion of former Student Body President Tim Vela.
“At the time, [FLO] was very weak, not organized, and didn’t have steady leadership,” Perez said. “That sparked my interest. I’m a firm believer that everyone is a leader in their own right. [Leadership is] about harnessing your passion.”
FLO can be a great stepping stone for freshmen who want to test the waters before getting involved in other campus groups.
“Because FLO is an organization designed just for freshmen, it is a great way to get an idea of what it is like to join and be involved in an organization,” Keltin Wiens, a sophomore Broadcasting major, said. “You can make a better decision about how much you want to get involved.”
Wiens was involved with FLO last year and enjoyed his time with the organization.
“Even though there weren’t many people in FLO, I still felt a part of the campus dynamic,” he said. “Plus, you get close with other freshmen and make more friends, maybe with people you normally wouldn’t associate with. Having friends from other backgrounds and other interests helped me through the first two semesters of college.”
FLO has many projects in the works, including sponsoring a high school student council leadership retreat at WT.
“Nune is planning on some great trips and other leadership quests,” Wiens said. “I wish everyone could see how excited Nune is to be the FLO director this year. He will do an outstanding job with it.”
FLO’s first meeting will take place Sept. 22 at 5 pm in the Student Senate office.
