SGA program assists freshmen

Creating the future leaders of JMU, the Student Government Association's Students Educating and Leading Students program assists 20 freshmen in learning valuable skills.

These students had to go through a long application process and interview before they were selected, according to junior Krissy Schnebel, SGA's Leadership Programs director. "These kids are already great leaders," she said. "With this program, they will be exceptional leaders."

While the idea of S.E.A.L.S. is not new, it was implemented differently this year. In previous years, members were freshmen involved in SGA, according to Schnebel, which could make the group as large as 70 people. However, this year, they wanted to make the group smaller and more cohesive, she said.

Freshman Gina Scarpulla, a S.E.A.L.S. member, said, "I got involved with S.E.A.L.S. because I thought it was a wonderful way to meet other freshmen who were similar to myself. I also thought it was a great way to assess my own leadership skills and to learn new ways to improve them."

Freshman Allison Craigue said she joined because she "wanted to be a leader in the campus community."

The S.E.A.L.S. will be involved in many activities. Schnebel said, "We are going to have guest speakers, like administrators and people from Community Service-Learning, at the meetings." S.E.A.L.S. meets once a week, and some of these meetings will consist of social or community service activities, she added.

S.E.A.L.S. will work on four areas that will help in their growth as leaders. They will participate in leadership training, team-building activities, community service participation and social activities.

In areas of team building, members of S.E.A.L.S. will participate in the University Recreation ropes course and participate in Up 'til Dawn, Schnebel said.

Scarpulla said she is looking forward to the community service aspect. "One of the main things that we will be working on in S.E.A.L.S. this year is community service throughout the Harrisonburg area," she said.

Schnebel said they will be going to a soup kitchen as part of their community service.

She also said the S.E.A.L.S. will be lobbying for higher education and will go to Washington, D.C., probably in February.

The group also will work with the SGA Freshman Class Council during the year and will assist with the Mr. and Ms. Freshman pageant, she added.

Craigue said she also is looking forward to working with others so she can build on her skills. "I thought that since S.E.A.L.S. was part of SGA that it would be a good way for me to get started and meet people that are influential here on campus," she said. "I hope to come out of [the S.E.A.L.S. program] with a few new friends and sort of make a name for myself here."

The S.E.A.L.S. program is only for freshmen, and the current members will have to move on to other areas of JMU leadership after May. "I want [the S.E.A.L.S.] to move as a group and stay in touch" when they no longer are freshmen, Schnebel said. She said she wants them to branch out and become leaders of different organizations in their following years at JMU.

The S.E.A.L.S. members agree that they want to continue their friendships and skills in the future.

"I would like to gain as much as possible from [the S.E.A.L.S.] and hope that we could all learn and grow from each other," Scarpulla said.