“It’s not just about holding a position or title, but about being involved, building connections and creating a positive impact within a community of peers,” Breanna Montgomery, recipient of the Distinguished Senior Leader Award, said about what it means to be a leader.
Montgomery is in the final rounds of her time at Wright State University (WSU) and she has shown impressive work during her years, earning her this award.
At the start of her first year, she struggled to choose between psychology and education as a major, but ultimately decided on education. She did not thrive there, so she eventually switched to psychology.
“I went from elementary education, and quickly learned it was not for me, to psychology, where I have found my perfect fit,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery’s accomplishments are ones for the books; she has been involved in eight organizations, holding six positions between them.
Her involvement has included Women's Club Soccer and Kappa Delta Sorority; some of her positions include being an Involvement Mentor at Student Involvement and Leadership, Vice President of Internal Affairs for the College Panhellenic Council, High-Impact Practices (HIP) grant coordinator and Research Assistant for the Department of Teacher Education, intramural referee for Campus Recreation and Vice President of the University Activities Board. Additionally, she has been an orientation ambassador and a leader for Raider Camp and attended four leadership retreats and conferences.
Through these positions, she has gained leadership skills, along with experience in marketing, event planning, communication, mediation and more.
In April, Montgomery was the recipient of the Distinguished Senior Leader Award. She explained what the accomplishment of winning the award meant to her.
“This recognition represents the challenges I’ve worked through, the lessons I’ve learned and the commitment I’ve made to becoming someone others can rely on,” Montgomery said.
She also stated that originally, she never planned to be a leader for any organization, but as she experienced her time at WSU, she began stepping out of her comfort zone and got involved on campus.
Doing this opened her world up to new experiences, friends and lifelong communities.
“By getting involved, I found my people and my communities,” Montgomery said. “For the first time, I have genuinely felt like I have a place and like I belong.”
Now graduated, Montgomery hopes to take the leadership skills that she has gained from WSU into her future by embracing everyone with open arms, using effective communication and stepping up when others do not.
To any current or future students who aspire to get involved and connected like Montgomery did, she shared a piece of advice.
“Stay open, get involved in different things and don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way,” Montgomery said. “Leadership isn’t about being perfect; it’s about showing up, learning and being willing to grow.”
