A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Advice for Managing Leadership and Academic Responsibilities

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Camryn Abucejo

Student leadership while in school is no small feat. When it comes to balancing extracurriculars with academics, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed with your responsibilities. I am also someone who used to shy away from asking for help and instead bury myself in an excessive workload. As someone who held club leadership positions during all four years of undergrad, I am no stranger to this feeling. Being a leader among your peers provides an opportunity to grow as an individual while inspiring those around you.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of student leadership is often how easy it is to feel consumed with the responsibilities involved. Regardless of the position, you are expected to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a role model. To stay grounded while navigating your responsibilities—both academic and extracurricular—having a dedicated system to designate your tasks is essential. For those who love organization, planners offer a creative and systematic method of keeping your academic, social, and leadership tasks in order. For me personally, I’ve always preferred using digital calendars that can be accessible by both my phone and computer to keep my to-do lists handy. Finding a method that you find the most convenient and accessible is essential to ensuring your time management is successful.

Choosing to be a leader means you are still in a position of growth. While I was a student at UC Riverside, I found myself heavily involved with my campus’ Filipino-American organization: Katipunan Pilipino Student Organization. During all four years of my time at UCR, I chose to take part in the organization’s cabinet. I started out as an intern/apprentice board member before becoming treasurer, alumni liaison, and finally president. Each position helped to grow my confidence in myself and my abilities. At the same time, I also struggled with letting my perfectionist tendencies prevent me from asking for support when I needed it. It wasn’t until I served as president that I finally became comfortable with relying on my team. Previously I would often take extra burdens on my own, but confiding in my executive cabinet reduced the stress that came with my position. Realizing that I had a team that supported me, it changed my mindset from not wanting to ask for help and instead put trust in the team who trusted me as well.

My last piece of advice for any student leaders out there is to remember that your passion will make it all worth it in the end! My leadership experiences in undergrad will be different from yours, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t invest your time in what you find enjoyable or fulfilling. There are so many ways that being a leader can help you grow in your journey to optometry school, but being a leader in a space that you enjoy spending your time on will make it even more rewarding.

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