Jackie Aliotta

Name: Jackie Aliotta
Year: Sophomore
Major: Undeclared (but hopefully soon to be Communications Studies)
Minor: (will be minor in Spanish)
Campus Involvement:
Fall 2005- Fall 2006: Sister of Alpha Phi Fraternity
Fall 2005: Alpha Phi-Fall 05-Social Chair
Spring 2006-Fall 2006: Panhellenic/IGC Delegate for Alpha Phi
Fall 2005- Member of Serpentine Yearbook
Spring 2006: Copy Editor of the Serpentine Yearbook
Fall 2006: Assistant Editor of Serpentine Yearbook
Fall 2005-Spring 2006: RHA 8th Floor Representative of Sanderson Hall
Spring 2006: SAC Member & Kareoke Committee Member
Fall 2006: SAC’s Homecoming Banner Committee Chair
Fall 2006: Student Activities Council Exec. Board- Publicity Chair
Spring 2006: Association for Women and Men in Communications Member
Fall 2006: Assoc. for Women & Men in Communications Exec. Board- Creative Officer
Fall 2005- Spring 2006: Member of Sykes Union Advisory Board
Fall 2006: Vice President of Sykes Union Advisory Board
Spring 2006- Fall 2006: Major Entertainment Committee
Fall 2005- Fall 2006: Co-Captain for Intramural field hockey, basketball, and co-ed volleyball teams
Spring 2006: Dance Production Workshop
Spring 2006- Fall 2006: S.A.I.L. Program- Working towards becoming a Certified Student Leader
Spring 2006: WCU Television Station
Fall 2006: University Ambassador

What is your favorite aspect of WCU or what is the best thing about being a WCU student?
I think the best thing about being a WCU student is that there are so many different things to get involved with here on campus. I’m in a sorority, I play intramural sports, and I’m involved in many different organizations. We have so many opportunities to get involved, that everyone should be able to find at least one thing that interests them.

What are some thoughts, or ideas that have helped to mold you into a successful leader?
I think that being a successful leader involves you to be very goal oriented, and have good time management skills. Having both of these qualities has made me a leader here on campus. Being goal oriented is very important, to figuring out what you want, and knowing exactly what you have to do to get there. Having good time management skills is very important when you want to get involved in different organizations. It’s very important for me to keep an organized planner, and to follow it, along with my list of “things to do” to accomplish all of the things I need to in a day.

What do you think is an important quality of an effective leader?
I think an important quality of an effective leader is to make good choices. Being able to reason through a problem, or situation, even just something simple is very important when you’re leading a group of people. It’s important to have a plan when something happens, and to make sure that the correct outcome is made by the group.

Who is the leader you most look up to or who has influenced you the most?
Although my person is someone that many young women will say, the person I look up to the most is my mom. My mom is a realtor with a very crazy working schedule. I look up to her because she works very hard, through all hours of the night, to make sure that my family is able to live well. She’s very hard working and determined. I really look up to her, because no matter how many hours she works in the day or how busy she gets, she always makes time for our family to spend quality time together, and to talk to me over the phone when I am at school.

What are your future plans?
My future plans consist of getting on the dean’s list one of these upcoming semesters, getting a great internship in a career that I’m interested in, finding the career that I’m interested in, and living my life so that it makes me happy. Oh- and running for President of Alpha Phi, when I’m a senior.

How do you expect your experience in student clubs and organizations will to benefit you for the future?
I think that my experiences will help me in the future when just working with people in general. I think that all of my communication and “people skills” will help, no matter what kind of direction I chose to go into. I think that being a leader in these organizations will also provide me with the drive to reach the top in positions that I will hold in my jobs as well.

What advice would you give to fellow students about leadership or how they can get involved on campus?
I would like to tell fellow students that it’s so important to get involved on campus. It’s amazing to meet so many different kinds of people. I personally think that getting involved is so much fun, so get out there, go to the organizational fair, and get involved in something that interests you. Even though it’s great for your resumes, make sure that you’re getting involved in something that you believe in, but don’t forget to have fun along the way.