Sophomore Mackenzie Keyes has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for February 2021. Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, Mackenzie came to the University of Arkansas to study supply chain management and marketing. She is currently involved in Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE), the Future Women Business Leaders, Zeta Tau Alpha, and the Student Alumni Association.

Mackenzie said she got involved in these organizations because she wanted to make more friends and try out more things. After finding her place at the university, she said she wanted to help others find places for themselves like she did. 

"This is what brought me to SOOIE," she said. "Through SOOIE, I am able to encourage involvement as well as develop leaders, while still growing myself."

Mackenzie believes one of the most important qualities and characteristics of a leader is to be adaptable and have good communication skills. To her, leadership can be unpredictable, and you can never plan for everything. Sara's advice for other students is that when you are working with others, "you need to be able to understand their situations or availability and communicate efficiently so things don't get lost in translation."

Mackenzie's favorite quote regarding leadership is from Ronald Reagan: "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

Mackenzie would like to thank Brooke Forth for being a mentor to her during her collegiate years. She said, "I look up to her a lot and she is someone who had made a big impact on my life whether she knows it or not."

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.