STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN TCU
For years, TCU has continually provided a crucial opportunity for students to lead and hone their God-given abilities as they study. From the dorm committee to the student council, small circles to, group prayer meetings, TCU offers a wide array of positions where students can lead, grow, and contribute to the community. This week, we delve into the experiences of two TCU students who serve in distinct leadership positions. First, we meet Chinthianhoi Leivang from India, who serves in the student council.
Chin, as she is affectionately known, mentioned that she indeed had some leadership experience before TCU, especially in her school years where she had served as class monitress and house captain. She added, however, that leadership at TCU created a significant shift in her understanding of a leader and is helping her serve from a place of “sacrifice and humility,” while trying to “push people, rather than pull them”. She emphasized that her motivation for leadership is growing as she now focuses on contributing to the rest of her teammates, learning from others, not stressing nor pressuring herself, and improving her ability to properly communicate with those serving alongside her. Chin recognized the struggle created by the language and cultural differences between the Japanese and International students, but highlighted the tremendous growth that has been made through “improved inclusion and creation of new spaces for every member to fit in.”
Chin hopes that her leadership experience at TCU, will equip her to “interact, communicate, and understand people of different cultures and backgrounds” after she graduates. This global perspective, nurtured through TCU’s diverse leadership opportunities will not only enrich her personal growth but also broaden her understanding of the world.
Next, we spoke with Primrose Chakalamba from Zimbabwe, a third-year student who leads the English-track prayer meeting.
Starting our conversation, Prim mentioned her early experience with leadership starting in school, and how that developed more intensely as she started work, which greatly improved her God- given ability to “lead, love people, and work with them.”
About her introduction to the role of prayer leader, she stated that she had always liked prayer and the idea of talking with God. She, therefore, was excited to take hold of the responsibility and hopefully overcome the challenges it presents. Having served for a few years, she acknowledges that a great support system around her has helped her actualize her vision of “creating a place where everyone can come, grow, and strengthen each other within the international community.” She added that this leadership opportunity gave her the chance to better others and herself. She has cultivated consistency in her prayer life since she now provides leadership for several others in that domain.
Like Chin, Prim hopes that having led a “multicultural group of students of varying ages,” she is now “equipped to embrace further leadership roles in equally diverse settings.”
written by John
