Senior Brandon Payne has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for December. Originally from Fordyce, Brandon came to the University of Arkansas to major in biology with a pre-med emphasis. He has served as a R.O.C.K. Camp student coordinator and currently serves as the UARK Cardinal Nights student coordinator for marketing and public relations, an Arkansas Kickstart mentor, and a leader in Cru. Payne has stated that a large reason he became so involved was because of the "home" feeling that was given from the organizations. Reaching all students on campus and appreciating different values and diversity is another factor to his involvement.

When asked what he thought a leader's most important qualities were, Payne aid, "A leader needs to have a sense of responsibility. They should be able to take on challenges and stick to them. They should be compassionate and respectful especially to the people they are leading. Good leaders need these characteristics when working with other people to successfully deal with conflict, get the job done, and encourage others to be better leaders too." Payne also identified his mentor in Cru as someone has really impacted his leadership style.

Payne's advice to other leaders is to learn to lead "truly." He stated, "Stick to your values and beliefs, but step out of your comfort zone and try new things, talk to new people. Don't be afraid of conflict, instead learn how to respectfully approach it." His favorite quote is from Francis Chan, "We get one chance at this life on earth. Let's not waste our lives going after the temporal stuff. Let's live our lives, now, in a way that glorifies God and his mission. Anything else is a waste."

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