Meet Michaella Tran! Michaella is a Senior at UNCW, majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in Psychology and Spanish. She is from Staley, NC and works part-time at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington. She not only works hard on her studies here at UNCW, but also works hard as the co-director of SLAC (the Seahawk Leadership Advisory Council) and as a Community Engagement Specialist, both with the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement. She is also a member of Global Medical Training.
Michaella’s involvement on campus and driven spirit are inspiring to those that have the pleasure of meeting her. Here are some questions to get to know Michaella a little more!
HC: What sparked your interest in becoming a co-director of SLAC and a Community Engagement Specialist all within the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement?
MT: I’ve always been very interested in service and volunteering, and as a Freshman, I lived on the LEAD floor. We worked on developing our personal definitions of leadership and service. It was here that I met the Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement Jaime Russell. She encouraged us all to become involved with the office, and at the end of my Freshman year, I applied to be a Community Engagement Specialist. After becoming involved with the office, I was offered the opportunity to co-direct our Seahawk Leadership Advisory Council, a pilot program that would be directed at educating students about leadership and providing them with interactive opportunities to do so. I still serve in both roles, and with our SLAC team we are currently working to plan the annual Seahawk Leadership Conference as well as developing material and content for classroom presentations about leadership for first year students.
HC: What is your role as a Community Engagement Specialist?
MT: As a Community Engagement Specialist, I work with a specific nonprofit in order to set up volunteer experiences for UNCW students. As a group, we work to provide enjoyable and exciting volunteer opportunities that allow students to reflect and understand why service is important to others, as well as themselves. This year I am partnering with the Brigade Boys and Girls club in order to allow students the opportunity to come and volunteer with the kids in the program. In the past, I have worked with organizations such as the Red Cross and Spring Arbor, an assisted living home for those with Alzheimers and dementia.
HC: What have you learned through your involvement on campus that you hope to apply to your life after graduation?
MT: Leadership is everywhere, in every walk of life, and none of us are masters of it. We are all on our own journey of leadership learning through self-development and our interaction in leading and being led by others. Through my involvement on campus, I have learned how to productively work with others to make visions and ideas become a reality. I have learned how to collaborate the strengths of varying individuals and create a product that is more than successful. I will graduate with a greater knowledge about myself and how I work in different environments. I hope that I will carry this with me as I step into life outside UNCW, and that I am able to continue in my self-development and leadership journey.
HC: What are your plans after graduation?
MT: After graduation, I hope that I will be attending graduate school for a doctorate in occupational therapy. (Fingers crossed!)
GOOD LUCK MICHAELLA!
HC: What has been your favorite experience at UNCW?
MT: The experiences I have had with the friends I have made at UNCW are my favorite. Whether it be laughing hysterically until 2 a.m. in the common room freshman year, dancing like a fool to music blasted in my car on a cookout run, or traveling across continents to meet 11 of your new best friends in Chile, I will treasure all of these memories forever.
HC: Favorite Vine/ OR YouTube video you watch too often:
MT: AA AAA AAAA Battery Vine Please watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jpe8DLV88
[Photos courtesy of Michaella Tran]