At UA, the Emerging Leaders Program in Student Life’s Office of Student Media isn’t just another program— it’s a chance for students to grow as leaders, connect with others across media platforms, and gain the confidence to take on bigger roles.
The program is designed to give students within Student Media the opportunity to learn about the leadership track. They participate in workshops on communications and presentation skills, time management, ethics and decision-making, managing relationships and of course, preparing for leadership roles. Students who complete the program are equipped with the tools to be successful in a leadership role managing their peers and are eligible for an Emerging Leader Award at the end of the year.
“One of our goals this year was to establish a leadership development program for students in Student Media to deepen our leadership pipeline. Post-COVID, we have seen that this is a need in our area, and we wanted to offer department-wide resources to help any interested student prepare to step up into their next role with one of our media outlets,” said Jessie Jones, the director of Student Media.
For Kathryn Rachford, a senior majoring in computer engineering, the program has been a key part of her collegiate experience. Kathryn first got involved with Student Media after stopping by the WVUA-FM table at Get on Board Day during her freshman year. Even though she did not have any experience at the time, she decided to scan the QR code and apply. That small step led to a spot on the production staff—and eventually to two years as production director and now station manager.
Her broadcasting advisor, Terry Siggers, encouraged her to join the Emerging Leaders Program. After reaching out to Jessie, Kathryn got involved and found it incredibly valuable.
“The most beneficial presentation for me was on how to manage your peers. Leadership itself is already a tricky skill to master, but it can be even more daunting when you have to lead people that are your own age, and often your friends. Having mentors acknowledge that challenge and prepare me for how to handle it gave me more confidence in starting my leadership role,” she said.
However, it is the community that Kathryn has gained at WVUA-FM that has made this experience the most rewarding.
“My favorite part about what I do is connecting and collaborating with so many like-minded, creative people,” she said. “The community aspect has been really great for me.”
Now as she prepares for her final year at the Capstone, Kathryn hopes to combine her engineering background and her love for music and media to work in the live music industry when she graduates.
For students interested in becoming a part of Student Media or the Emerging Leaders Program, Kathryn offers this advice: “Absolutely do it, but don’t overextend yourself. It’s incredibly rewarding and a great way to make friends but remember that we’re still students and balance is important. I 100% recommend the leadership program to anyone interested in moving into a leadership role at Student Media.”
Jessie says it has been great to see students from different teams connect with one another and build lasting relationships. A call for participants will be released in September for students taking part in one of Student Media’s outlets – Alice, Bama Life, The Crimson White, Marr’s Field Journal, Nineteen-Fifty-Six and WVUA-FM. Students looking to connect and get involved in any of those outlets can submit their interest at starthere.ua.edu.