Xiaohongshu
Student leadership is about stepping up, trying something new and making a difference where you are. We spoke with Maggie, a project lead at the Salsa Outreach Society, about how their leadership roles have allowed them to strengthen community connections and create a meaningful impact.
The Leadership Race is open now, and everyone is welcome to put themselves forward.
Hi, my name is Maggie! I’m a second-year student studying BSc Crime and Security Science, and I first heard about the Salsa Society Outreach program in my first year of university. This year, I had the opportunity to become one of the project leads, where I help organise volunteer training sessions as well as outreach with organisations we partner with.
What first motivated you to get involved with Salsa Outreach Society?
My family is Colombian, so salsa was always a big part of my childhood. Sunday mornings I would wake up to my family blasting it on a speaker, and every gettogether – whether big or small – always involved both salsa and dancing. I grew up seeing how something as simple as dancing could bring people together – it was because of this that I decided to volunteer as a salsa instructor. I figured it would be a really fun way to both connect more with my own culture and also teach others about it.
When you first became a student leader, did you feel that your role within Salsa Outreach could make a real difference?
When I first started, I wasn’t expecting it to feel as rewarding as it did. I think after my first session volunteering, it became really clear to me how something like this could leave a significant impact on people – even if it meant just giving them a reason to get up and move around to some music. Going from a volunteer last year to now one of the leaders on the project meant that I could not only continue to leave that impact on others, but I could be the reason other students, like my firstyear self, have the opportunity to leave an impact too.
Going from a volunteer last year to now one of the leaders on the project meant that I could not only continue to leave that impact on others, but I could be the reason other students, like my firstyear self, have the opportunity to leave an impact too.
Have you gained any skills that you think will be useful beyond uni?
I would say definitely communication. In the program, you have to learn how to teach, not just show. One of the things we focus on the most in our training is how to communicate the same thing to diKerent people. Everyone has different learning styles and capabilities, so it’s important to know how to work towards each person’s strengths. As a leader, I also have to be able to look back on last year’s experiences and learn from my own mistakes, then communicate these to new volunteers so they can be improved upon.
Why do you think student leadership roles like this are so important within the university community?
I think student leadership roles are important for so many reasons. For starters, it serves as a really good learning experience when it comes to having responsibility, organizing initiatives, and working with others. Aside from that though, from the perspective of volunteers, I think having a leader who is also a student makes for a less intimidating atmosphere. It not only serves as inspiration, but also encourages community and engagement, which in turn, only helps the initiative grow even stronger.
If someone is nervous about volunteering or leading, what advice would you give?
I would tell them that it is completely normal to be nervous the first time, and even the second or third time. I went into this program knowing that it was a huge step outside my comfort zone and that it would take a lot of courage for me to get up in front of other people and deliver a salsa class. Even the training sessions were intimidating, yet I’m thankful that I did it because as I said before, it is incredibly
rewarding.
Speaking to the class after the session and hearing about how they also took a step out of their comfort zone to attend just really put into perspective that we are all on the same page. Student, teacher, it didn’t matter. We were all trying something new so that really took the pressure off wanting to be perfect and allowed me to just enjoy the process.