13 Chapter 13

Matthew Splon

My name is Matt Splon, and I am currently a graduate student in Winona State University’s Leadership Education program. After finishing courses this semester, I will have completed 27 total credit hours in the program. Outside of graduate school, my role on campus is the defensive graduate assistant for Winona State’s football team. Prior to beginning graduate school, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Winona State University and worked for a year in outside sales for Ecolab, Inc. My intention is to graduate from the Leadership Education program in December of 2017.

Change Leadership is a writing intensive course that introduces students to leadership styles and theories, as well as allows students to develop their own personal leadership philosophy. The course is writing intensive and requires active participation and attention to detail. If you have not taken the Scholarship course yet, I would highly recommend completing Change Leadership prior to beginning that course.

Academic writing is not an easy skill to learn and grow accustomed to. However, for those of you who have not written an academic style paper recently, the Change Leadership course is an excellent course to introduce yourself to the subject or refamiliarize yourself with it. My biggest advice for you is to be open to constructive criticism and do not invest yourself emotionally with your writing. Becoming a strong academic, like most skills, requires a process that involves improvement through mistakes. Dr. Holmes is an educator with an immense amount of experience with academic writing, and she is going to be completely honest with you in regards to coursework. She is also going to be your biggest supporter throughout the course, so make sure you make a trip to her office if you need help. For help acclimating to writing APA 6th Edition citations, you also need to purchase an APA 6th Edition to ensure your paper is properly cited.

Along with academic writing, the course also entails various group discussions, collaborative projects, and case reviews. Participation is required. As a leader of today and tomorrow, one must be willing to step out of his or her comfort zone. Class discussions make up a majority of the in-class work, and you need to stay engaged, even when it is not your group’s case. If you have an opinion regarding a case, I strongly encourage you to voice your opinion, but be ready to defend it. Understand that the classroom is a psychologically safe environment where you should be open to sharing your thoughts and be open to feedback. That is how we will grow as leaders.

Understand that you will be challenged in Change Leadership. Everyone has a life

outside of school, so make sure your priorities are straight. The course is not one that you will be able to stroll through. Enjoy the process of becoming a better writer, a better student, and most importantly, a better leader. Learn from those around you. Your peers and classmates all have unique experiences that you personally can learn something from, so make an effort to get to know them outside the classroom. I wish you the best of luck throughout the rest of your academic career.