Within UW Leaders
There are five great ways to be involved with the UW Leaders program:
1. Apply to be a Leader (Mentee) – Each fall, UW Leaders recruits first-year, second-year, and transfer third-year students to join our program as Leaders. The Mentor Team will review applications and notify those students who have been selected to proceed to the interview stage. Each year, our goal is to welcome approximately 50 new students into the program. We are eager to meet this next generation of campus leaders and help them grow through our program and beyond. Review “About Our Application” to learn more about how you may fit with the values and foundation of the program.
2. Apply to be a Mentor – During spring quarter of the previous academic year, we select about 15-20 mentors. The incoming UW Leaders Co-Director Team review Mentor applications and notify those students who have been selected to proceed to the interview stage. Throughout fall quarter, the Mentor team attends weekly meetings that are designed to train the Mentors on topics such as group facilitation, workshop synthesis, and goals pertaining to the mentor-mentee relationship. These individuals are identified as some of the top leaders on campus from both within and outside of the UWL program.
3. Join our Alumni Network – Our UWL Alumni are incredible humans to say the least. We continue to connect with and celebrate our alumni through several major events, including our Alumni Mixer in the Spring and Alumni Panel in the Fall. We are looking to expand opportunities for involvement with our alumni so please reach out to us at asuwlead@uw.edu if you are not in our contact list already.
4. Apply to be a Co-Director – The hiring process for these positions begins during spring quarter. These hirings are run by the ASUW Personnel Committee because both positions are considered ASUW Employees. Their visions steer the program during the following year. Both positions are in charge of recruiting, hiring, and training a cohort of Mentors to prepare for the new year’s program.
5. Volunteer with us – we host quarterly service days where we engage in different community events, and these projects are open to everyone! Traditionally, UW Leaders forms a Relay for Life team and camps out in Husky Stadium to raise money and awareness about cancer for the American Cancer Society. UW Leaders has also partnered with Green Seattle to clear the Burke-Gilman trail, partnered with the Carlson Center to clean the University Heights for Martin Luther King Day of Service, and beautifying weed-heavy areas of Golden Gardens park. Several of our Leaders will also put on community service projects for their leadership practice, many of which are advertised around campus and published on our Facebook page.
Outside UW Leaders
UW Leaders is one of the most competitive programs on campus, and unfortunately not everyone is able to join after the application cycle. We have included a handful of recommendations for you to consider if you want to find ways to be involved on campus and grow as a leader:
1. Contact the Office of Volunteer Opportunities (OVO) – this group is dedicated to helping you find the best fit possible for work experience within ASUW that you’re interested in. You can learn more about their office here or email them directly at asuwovop@uw.edu.
2. The Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center develops service-learning, community-based participatory research, and leadership opportunities for UW students that sustain reciprocal partnerships, deepen learning, advance civic engagement, and contribute to our greater community. Their Public Service Opportunities Page is updated regularly with new engagement opportunities. They are also well-versed in on-campus opportunities for volunteering with Pipeline Project and Dream Project and many more. There are fellowships, awards, and accredited internships available too. The Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center also puts on the Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership and the Martin Luther King Day of Service; events that UW Leaders takes part in annually.
3. Husky Leadership Initiative – their goal is to foster and develop a culture of leadership on campus through programming and mentorship. They offer programs open to all such as U Lead We Lead and Leadership Firesides, which include guest speakers invited from the greater Seattle community. These events also invoke practices in group discussion and facilitation, which create the opportunity for undergraduates to explore what it means to truly be a leader. Another important program offered by HLI is the Husky Leadership Certificate. This program is offered to third and fourth-year students who are looking to grow and explained their leadership skills. Each student admitted into the program is paired with a mentor who will serve as a resource and role-model for their student mentee. More information about all of these amazing programs can be found on their website.
4. Registered Student Organizations, or student clubs, are a great way to get involved at UW. There are clubs of all categories: academics, honors societies, non-profits, fraternities and sororities, religion, sports clubs, and more. There are over 800 RSOs that register with the Student Activities Office every year. You can browse through the clubs offered on the RSO Directory and keep up to date on their meetings, events, and social media networks. It only takes five UW students to start an RSO, so if you cannot find one that represents your interests, you can make one!
As always, feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions!