Graduate
Assistantship
While pursuing my Master's degree, I was also gaining real-world experience by working with the staff at the Irwin Academic Services Center to advise student-athletes. Additionally, I
gained further knowledge
of Compliance within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Accompanying school and my Graduate Assistantship, I continued to volunteer at the Champaign County Humane Society. Helping the animals was a great way for me to give back to the community and ensure the animals were healthy and looking their best for their forever home.
By actively learning and participating in school, my Graduate Assistantship, and volunteering, I have developed into a well-rounded individual that is continuously improving. This drive to learn is a very dynamic part of who I am.
Illinois Leadership Center
Leadership Certificate Completion Portfolio
About Me
Hello! My name is Katelyn Talbott and I have earned my Master of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May 2016. During graduate school, I was the Graduate Assistant at the Irwin Academic Services Center. My primary responsibility was as academic counselor for women's softball student-athletes. I am currently searching for a position that will afford me the opportunity to work with students as an academic advisor. My motivation for becoming an academic advisor is to be the one to instill an intrinsic motivation in tomorrow's leaders. By giving them knowledge and opportunities, I hope to create driven, autonomous leaders for tomorrow to solve today's (and yet unknown) world issues.
Once I discovered the Illinois Leadership Center and their Certificate Program as an undergraduate, I knew I wanted to participate. I realized this program would give me new experiences and opportunities to develop my leadership skills. It would provide a chance to grow and develop my leadership potential in a method that has time and time again proven to work. I remember reading some of the student testimonials on the Illinois Leadership Center webpage and just hoping I could create as meaningful takeaways as those students who came before me. I found my opportunity to enroll in the Illinois Leadership Certificate program through the Applied Health Sciences James Scholar program and I have never looked back.
Upon completion of the Leadership Certificate, I have come to reflect on the many leadership areas in which I have learned and grown. First, I have come to the understanding that it only takes one. Meaning, there needs to be the first follower in order for there to be a leader. If no one is hearing your voice or seeing your actions, they cannot know you are a leader. This brings me to my second area of improvement. A leader must be willing and crazy enough to throw themselves at the cause. With this lesson, a leader must speak up for what they believe, and act accordingly. Finally, I have learned to not be so task-oriented. I have realized that the most productive teams have an element of task- and social-oriented forces. I have every intention of carrying this new knowledge with me into my future career.
