I may be just a little biased because she’s the current President of my sorority, but Lauren Giery is an absolutely amazing woman and excellent leader. I was able to catch up with her and get some of her tips on how she does such an incredible job and manages a prestigious position.
Describe some past experiences that prepared you to transition into the President of your sorority.
What has prepared me the most for my new position was being a part of our sisterhood for a year and a half before coming into this role. When you’re in a chapter of 80 women, you gain skills that can benefit you in so many ways. I’ve become a better communicator, learned time management, and, more than anything, I’ve learned how to be a leader. And I’ve gained all of these skills primarily through the example set for me by my peers. My older sisters and the previous presidents of our chapter, especially, have modeled for me what leadership looks like, and I really hope, above all else, that I can do the same for the younger members of our chapter.
What leaders in your life have inspired you?
My mom is my biggest inspiration. She is such a strong, independent, and compassionate woman, and I like to think that she instilled these values in me as well. Any time I have a problem or need advice or support she’s always the first person I turn to. I know I can depend on her to give me the best advice, even if it’s not what I want to hear, and I really value that.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I’ve always been involved in the Vermont Cynic. It was the first club I joined once I got to UVM, and I was the assistant news editor for a year and I briefly served as news editor before taking a step back to focus on my responsibilities with in my sorority.
If you could have dinner with any famous historical figure, who would it be and why?
If I could have dinner with any historical figure it would be Abraham Lincoln, he was an awesome leader. He led a vulnerable country torn by two major differences, he was a great writer and communicator, and he was different, which is a quality I admire in anyone.
How do you manage to stay calm during stressful situations?
Whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed I always turn to my friends. I think it’s so important to have a group of people that support you, and are able to lighten the most stressful situations just with their presence.
What are some challenges of being President?
I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced as President is how confrontational you have to be. This position is unique in that when there is a problem you have to confront your sisters, who are your peers and your closest friends, and that can be hard. I’ve learned that you just have to be poised, rational, and honest, and ideally they’ll understand.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get involved in a leadership role?
My advice would be to listen to other people’s ideas, because two or three or four minds are always better than one and as hard as it can be to admit, sometimes other’s ideas are better than your own. But, the best advice I can give someone in any leadership role, is find the people you can depend on. The most valuable thing I’ve gained through my experience as President so far is that not everyone is ever going to agree with you and not everyone is going to like you, but if you can find those few people that will be there for you through anything, then you have all you need. I’m lucky to have found people that I can trust with anything, and can always depend on to give me their honest opinion, even if we don’t agree. It’s so important to have a support system, whether it’s made up of your family or your friends, it’s crucial to be successful and to be happy.
What are your goals for the future?
For my chapter, my goal for this next year is to get out of our comfort zones, and to reach out to other organizations and become even more involved in our community outside of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL). This past year, we got involved in the LGBTQA community, and I think it benefitted the women in our chapter so much and I hope it did the same for the members of their community as well. But, I would love to see us continue reaching out to other groups and organizations, because I think it does benefit both sides.
I like to think UVM’s Fraternity and Sorority Life is seen as a very inclusive group, but in general Greek Life does have a reputation of being exclusive and closed minded, and I want our chapter to get more involved in events and causes that benefit groups outside of the FSL community and our national philanthropies alone. I think we could be a better chapter for it.