About Me
My name is Ray Schrager. I am currently a rising junior at the University of Rhode Island studying Sociology and Psychology on the Pre-Med Track with a minor in Leadership Studies. I call Long Island home, as I've lived on the Island my entire life. I am involved in many clubs and organizations here on campus including tour guiding, Phi Eta Sigma (Freshman Honors Fraternity- Fall 2016/Spring 2017), facilitator/lead facilitator for the Student Organization Leadership Consultants (SOLC), and a member of Rotaract club. At the Fall 2016 Open House, which is when prospective students have the opportunity to learn more about the school and it's many organizations as well as take a tour of the campus, I was a Leadership Ambassador. My responsibilities included raising awareness to the Leadership Institute and the Leadership Studies minor, answer any questions the students and their families might have, and give my personal stories from my experience as a student who attended Institute. I was a student at the Leadership Institute in Fall 2016 and a Peer Leader in Fall 2017. This was a great opportunity for me to share my experience as a student at Institute because since coming to college, attending the Institute as an incoming freshman is still, to this day, my favorite memory of college and where I consider my happy place. It's where I met a group of people who have a passion for Leadership and it's where I found that passion within myself.
In the future, I really hope to continue with the Leadership Minor as well as being a Tour Guide and facilitator for SOLC. A future goal of mine is to be a member of the Executive Board for SOLC. Academically, a very important goal that I have for myself is to graduate Summa Cum Laude. This means that I would graduate with the highest praise, in other words, I am graduating with either a perfect 4.0-grade point average or very close to that. After graduating with my two Bachelor's degrees, I plan on attending Medical School and then pursuing a career as a Pediatric Psychiatrist as I have always wanted to work in such a rewarding field involving children and I find mental health to be a passion of mine and something I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I want to help others who are suffering from symptoms that aren't physical. I would love to have the opportunity to do some research in the future, once my Pediatric Psychiatrist career is well-established. |
The leadership model that I feel best connects to who I am as well as my strengths and values is the Relational Leadership model. This model has 5 components which are Inclusive, Empowering, Purposeful, Ethical, and Process-Oriented as well three categories of Knowing, Being, and Doing. I really feel like my strength of being an Includer really connects to the Inclusive component as this can be seen in all three categories. For Inclusive Knowing, this is about having knowledge of self and others as well as worldviews. I see the connection between Inclusive Knowing and my Includer strength because I feel as though I have a good understanding of who I am and those surrounding me. This allows me, as a consultant, to really connect with the participants at a retreat. I try to encourage active participation from everyone and ensure that everyone feels as though their voice is being heard and realizes how important they are to the group. For Inclusive Being, this is about believing that difference in people are valuable and everyone can make a difference. This connects to my Includer strength because I am someone who understands and values the differences each person brings to the table. On retreats, not every participant is going to think the same and it's important that I, as a facilitator, give everyone an equal opportunity to voice their ideas and opinions in a safe and welcoming environment. Finally, for Inclusive Doing, this is about having skills in listening and building coalitions which is what I love to do. I am very good at being an active listener and building bonds with others which allows me to show others that they are welcome and important to the group.
Another strength that connects to a component of the Relational Leadership Model is my Achiever strength which I see connecting to the Process-Oriented component. For Process-Oriented Knowing, it's about having an understanding of the community and group processes such as team-building, maintenance, and closure. This connects to my strength of being an Achiever because to achieve goals as a group, you need to understand the process in which to get there and also, have an understanding of who you are working with. For Process-Oriented Being, it's about believing that the process is as important as the outcome and good things happen when people trust the process. This can be seen as an Achiever when I trust my group-mates and in turn, we always do an amazing job on whatever we are doing at that moment and accomplish our goals. By trusting the process, it allows me to see goals and achievements as attainable, but not rushing to get everything done right away as it's important to trust the learning process and work as a group. Achievers are task driven and goal-oriented so for me, I see the goal in my mind and have the ability to identify the necessary tasks and steps needed to be taken in order to attain that goal. Finally, Process-Oriented Doing is about having skills in collaboration, reflection, and challenging. As an Achiever, I am able to collaborate in a group to get tasks finished, reflect on how we can do better in the future, and challenge the process and challenge the group as a whole to not only achieve our goal but to even surpass it. This is how just a couple of my strengths really tie into the Relational Leadership Model, but I can see how my other three strengths of Competition, Restorative and Positivity connect with this model as well.
Relational Leadership Model:
Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2013). Exploring leadership: For college students who want to make a difference (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Relational Leadership Model:
Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2013). Exploring leadership: For college students who want to make a difference (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.