After experiencing my fourth and final FUSA training this past weekend, two things became very evident to me. The first was the realization that as a 22-year-old, I was aging rapidly.
The second and seemingly more pertinent revelation was recognizing that a distinct evolution has happened to the Fairfield University Student Association since my freshman year.
FUSA has moved from an organization whose main function was to provide programming to an organization that must provide foundational support for all Fairfield University students.
Today, our organization sits at a crucial juncture where hindsight and innovation have combined, giving FUSA the ideal opportunity to revamp its goals and prove itself as a legitimate organization.
As a freshman, I was scared out of my mind before I entered the first FUSA wide training session and FUSA as a whole. It is always unnerving going into a group of people you may not know and trust me, a group full of strange student leaders is the worst.
Let me tell you, however, it was at that training that I learned what made leadership on a college campus different than any other experience in my life.
In high school, I remember student leaders being the ones who planned prom and participated in student council, but at Fairfield University, student leaders are intelligent students who want to serve and stand for change. Actual, visible change. I was in awe of the executive cabinet that year and I remember truly thinking that the organization was flawlessly run.
I have since learned that FUSA can be far from flawlessly run sometimes but I have also learned that the success of FUSA truly lies within its student leaders. An organization will fall flat on its face when the support or drive is not there.
The training that occurred this past Sunday was intended to remind active FUSA members that this year is going to thrive on that support.
The training focused on student presentations with the greatest proportion of time spent in individual branches to finalize specific job descriptions, expectations and to start working immediately. Accountability was stressed but so was having fun.
I am a firm believer that if you aren’t passionate about what you do then no amount of ‘going through the motions’ will fool anybody.
As the vice president of FUSA, I am still in awe that I am in the position that I am today and still greatly admire that FUSA administration which left me craving more from this organization.
If there is one thing that I have learned throughout the years (and hope was conveyed to the new FUSA members during training), it’s that this year is time to raise the bar.
FUSA can and should accurately represent the student body on campus and if we’re not, please do not hesitate to call us out on it.
Emily Dragone is the Vice President of FUSA.
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