Chaisson and Belford Selected as February and March Student Leaders of the Month

New Student and Family Programs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Seniors Madeleine Chaisson and Sami Belford have been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for February and March, respectively.

The Student Leader of the Month award, sponsored by New Student and Family Programs, recognizes University of Arkansas undergraduate students for their excellence in leadership through campus involvement, leadership activities, or through volunteer and community service.  

Originally from Slidell, Louisiana, Chaisson came to the U of A to study international relations, Latin American studies, Spanish and French. Madeleine is currently president of the Volunteer Action Center and a resident assistant at Pomfret Hall.

"As a freshman I was looking for a way to get involved on campus and found a Newswire article about the VAC program Dream B.I.G. (Believing In Girls)," she said. "I served as a mentor my freshmen year and have been hooked ever since. The VAC provides such a unique opportunity for a marriage of student involvement, life experience, and exposure to the problems our community is facing. I think it is important to match your extra-curricular activities with your academic and career goals, and my time with the Volunteer Action Center has allowed me to explore the world of service and attempt to find my place within it."

Madeleine's advice for other student leaders focuses on maintaining balance between leadership positions, academics and self-care.

"As a student leader, it is very easy to get overwhelmed," she said. "One of the most major lessons I have learned while at the U of A is the importance of self-care. It is nearly impossible to lead to the best of your abilities if you are constantly tired, over-worked, or falling behind in classes. I have learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather an opportunity to learn a new way of accomplishing a task or to better get to know a member of your team."

A Fayetteville native Belford came to the U of A to major in communication and advertising/public relations. Belford is in the Razorback Marching Band as a tuba player and part of the Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE).  She is also a member of Tau Beta Sigma, a National Honorary Band Service Sorority, and Lambda Pi Eta, a Communication Honor Society.

She chose these organizations because they each represent something that is important to her.

"I am passionate about leadership, building community and finding things that you are passionate about," she said. "I love band, service, leadership and communication and those are the things that I am involved in in further ways."

When asked what are the most important qualities or characteristics of a leader, Sami said, "I think that there are a million and half things that can make a leader great, and each leader becomes great by owning the things that make them great. For me, vulnerability has been the most important quality. In order to be a great leader, you have to put yourself out there. You have to put parts of you on display for others to critic and judge. That's incredibly difficult at times. Being vulnerable also enables others to be vulnerable. As a leader, if you can step up and say that you made a mistake but here is what I'm going to do better, it creates an atmosphere of accountability and trust. It allows others to enter the space and put themselves out there as well. It helps to build trust and genuine relationships. Vulnerability takes courage, but it can make a huge difference."

More information about the award can be found here.