I joined the Pioneer Leadership Program (PLP) mostly because of my biggest fear coming into college: navigating the process of forming close friendships. Before applying to the program, I spoke to quite a few people who were a year or two in, and I was able to understand their perspectives on the program. The overwhelming majority of people claimed that joining PLP was one of the best choices they had made during their time at college and that through this program, they had met the people they were still closest with to that day. This sounded pretty great to me, and I wanted to be able to form deep bonds with my peers.
From the beginning of this year, living with the other students in the program, I found this to be true. PLP introduced me to the most amazing people with whom I have already been able to establish lasting bonds. I am sure I would have been able to find friends in other capacities if this program was not a part of my life, but there is something right about the relationships we have formed so far. Living in a residence hall with others in the program allowed me to have access to individuals who were all so different than I am, but who still shared many fundamental values. Having the ability to have access at all times to these individuals also allowed us to spend time together, even just studying or listening to music.
PLP is a program centered on leadership, both developing your personal leadership style and demonstrating your love for service in the community. In exploring these aspects of ourselves and learning ways to effect positive change more effectively, we get deep with each other, and fairly fast. Not even just those I am closest to in this program, but other individuals as well, know so much more about who I am at my core than a lot of people I have known for years. This makes us all incredibly comfortable with each other and strengthens the friendships we have only begun to develop. The negative aspect of this, though, is that many nights, we have found ourselves up at 3 a.m. talking and losing sleep because we have lost track of time in the conversation.
The community and friendship aspect of PLP that I have raved about thus far has been so helpful for me in making an easy transition into college. Beyond this though, the program has definitely pushed me and can be overwhelming. I am the kind of individual who needs to have some time alone to recharge and a person who can be very anxious speaking up in group settings. As a member of PLP, I do feel a pressure to always be on and interacting with my peers, which is very out of my comfort zone. Classes also push verbal participation, so it takes a lot to show my engagement in the material. Even though these things are difficult for me, I am glad that I can have something to push me out of my shell and help me grow in the areas I find challenging.
In the word cloud are other first impressions of PLP, as first year students contributed one word answers to what the program was like so far.
I am so blessed to have found this welcoming community that I can be a part of over the next four years. It has been helpful for me to have the opportunity to grow in and fully get to know myself during this transitional period of life. Although not everything will go smoothly as a part of a group, PLP is one that fosters a family of people ready to have each other’s backs when there is a bump in the road.
