Sophomore Amelia Southern Uribe has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for December 2022. Uribe stayed in Fayetteville after graduating high school to attend the U of A to study journalism and political science. Uribe is a part of the Honors College and is involved in many campus activities.

Uribe, who prefers the pronoun they, is the founder and current president of Zero Hour Arkansas, an intersectional sustainability and climate advocacy RSO. Uribe is also the Leadership RA/Lead Hogs adviser for Founders and Gibson halls. Lead Hogs is a student leadership development program offered to students who live on campus. Uribe is also the vice president of public relations for University Programs, the student-run programming board for the U of A.

In the spring, Uribe mentors students through the Lemke Journalism Program. The program trains more journalists to provide a diverse viewpoint in Arkansas newsrooms. Apart from these things, Uribe is also a member of the Razorback Action Group, which is a nonpartisan advocacy group that represents the interests of the U of A student body.

"For much of my childhood, I struggled to 'belong' between the multitude of cultures I was immersed in at school and the culture that my mother kept alive within our single-parent immigrant home," Uribe said. "At school, I ate arepas and arroz con pollo, while my friends had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. School provided a cultural battlefield, yet it supplied the most profound cure to my exclusion: a diverse community. My childhood experiences awoke a passion to make myself heard.

"Writing speeches and sharing my story became the highlight of my advocacy," they continued. "As I have delved into the world of leadership, I have found myself frustrated with current institutions that have failed to change. I hope to pursue this change at the University of Arkansas. In all of my leadership positions, I strived for everyone to be listened to rather than heard. Organizations like Lead Hogs and University Programs gave me the tools to use my voice and the passion to fight. My passion for change inspired me to establish the non-profit and student climate activist organization Zero Hour Arkansas. The diverse youth-led chapter creates entry points, training and resources for new young activists and organizers interested in taking concrete action around climate change and environmental racism.

"I could quantify what I achieved: the thousands of dollars raised, the hundreds of people educated or the several politicians I've met with. Despite it all, nothing makes me prouder than breaking my silence. I learned to speak up," Uribe said. "I created opportunities for marginalized communities to find their voices. I fought for younger generations. All in the hope that my leadership shows that diversity in leadership matters especially on college campuses." 

Uribe believes that a great leader is more than a list of adjectives, but also a good leader is selfless and serves the community.  

"If there is not already a program, create one," they said. "From fun to fundraising, leadership can be so many different things. You have to find how you can establish your widely recognized unique approach to service and leadership, one that is encouraging and empowering. Leaders must strive to keep evolving as a leader and approach service equitably. Leadership is hard but is a constant opportunity to represent and break away from hypotheticals, and instead make real change and represent real people. I encourage leaders to extend their community service, examine diverse viewpoints and provide a forum for discussion among their communities. It is important to center your unique perspectives since they can serve as an asset. My identity as a queer Latine child of an immigrant allows me to represent and bring forth change to my communities. Our identities can unite us, and the platform we give each other can lead to empowerment, service and most importantly to being ourselves — unapologetically." 

Uribe wants to give other leaders the advice to also advocate for themselves while advocating for others. Burnout is a real thing and leaders tend to suffer from burnout even more than the average student.  

"Remember to always take care of yourself first," Uribe said. "You can't be the leader and student you want if you're not well and healthy. This includes physical, mental and emotional well-being." 

Uribe would like to thank Fernanda Alcantara. Alcantara parlayed her 2022 spring internship as a government relations intern for the Boys and Girls Club of America into a paid position in the organization's Washington, D.C., headquarters, where they worked until they began work as a Pauli Murray Fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union in New York City in September.

"I had a great mentor in the form of a best friend, who supported me and guided me through every walk of my leadership and made me who I am today," Uribe said. "She made countless sacrifices for me. She inspired me to embrace my Colombian identity and be successful. Fernanda gave me the platform to debunk my imposter syndrome and gave me a role model that comes from a similar background." 

The Student Leader of the Month award, sponsored by New Student & Family Programs, recognizes U of A undergraduate students for their excellence in leadership through campus involvement, leadership activities, or through volunteer and community service. Learn more about the award.