ABINGTON, Pa. — For Penn State Abington students Zainab Afridi and Vasyl Hordiichuk, a campus-sponsored retreat brought the leadership component of the Abington Experience to life. Through hands-on challenges and collaboration with students from varied backgrounds, they strengthened the communication, teamwork and leadership abilities they can carry into their careers.
The retreat is one of the Abington Experience opportunities available to all students that help them connect learning with personal and professional growth. Along with internships, research and academic travel, leadership development options like the retreat prepare students for success after graduation.
“The retreat is more than just fun and games. It’s an opportunity to develop your leadership skills through activities that require teamwork, taking the lead, and thinking outside the box,” Afridi said.
The mazes and ropes courses at the off-site retreat challenged students to communicate clearly, rely on each another, and approach problems from different perspectives. For Afridi, one trust exercise underscored an important lesson about leadership: All people do not respond to challenges in the same way.
A retreat counselor guided her through an activity that, she said, “highlighted that a leader’s job is to meet people where they are rather than expect everyone to respond the same way.”
That lesson reflects the leadership development options available through the Abington Experience. Afridi has strengthened those abilities on campus through the Peer Action Global Learning Network (PAGLN), success coaching at the Chaiken Center for Student Success, and other opportunities.
“I learned from PAGLN that being a leader means being willing to learn, improve and help others grow,” said Afridi, a fourth-year computer science major.
Leadership lessons for campus and career
Keisha Johnson, the director of Residence Life and Community Standards at Abington, said the retreat was incorporated into training for student staff about five years ago. Student Life employees bring students together across roles and organizations on campus, which helps them build a network of peers and staff who support their growth.
“It encourages students to develop communication, teamwork, critical thinking and leadership skills,” she said. “It also helps them recognize their own strengths while learning how to empower others.”
“This is not a one-and-done experience,” Johnson continued. “It begins a process of building confidence and abilities that support career readiness and future success.”
Some students participated in the retreat for a second year.
“Working with different groups of students created new opportunities to strengthen adaptability and collaboration, skills that will benefit them long after graduation,” Johnson said.