As my time working in the Leadership Office comes to an end, I was tasked with writing about leaving a legacy. What someone wants to leave as their legacy varies by person. Your legacy can be something tangible, like the creation of a new program, club or organization that will continue on past your time on campus or your legacy can be things that are intangible, like the lessons or impressions you left on others.
My job here in the Leadership Office has been to engage students in leadership development experiences. In doing so I promote leadership as a values driven process and challenge students to recognize if their actions are congruent with the values they espouse. One of my favorite quotes is a saying by Mother Teresa, “do small things with great love” because it sums up two things that I value. The first being love- a love for others and for the work that you do. The second is knowing that a small gesture can make a big difference to someone. Keeping these two values in mind, I am intentional in my work because I care for those that I am serving and think about how the workshops I facilitate, the classes I teach, the one-on-one meetings I have with students, or the programs I plan will make an impact on each individual person. This act of intentionality is a way that my work is congruent with the values I promote. This congruency between my actions and values, my intentionality in my work, and my ability to make an impact through a small act is what I hope I am leaving as my legacy in the Leadership Office.
It’s never too soon to start thinking about the legacy you want to leave. If you think about what mark or impression you want to leave in the future, you can start to plan the action steps you’ll take to achieve it sooner rather than later. Thinking about your legacy now will help you to reflect on how your own leadership, character and actions will impact those around you. So whether you’ve graduated and will be starting a new career soon, or even if you will be coming back to Storrs next semester, take some time to think about what you want your legacy to be.
-Danielle DeWeese
Graduate Assistant
Leadership Office
2013-2015
