STUDENT LEADERS: Path to the Titles

Andrew Baaki

Without approaching a PHILOSOPHICAL or spiritual discussion…

What answer would you give if someone were to ask: why do you work so hard in your respective field? I hate to assume what you would reply with because, as we all know, assuming makes a you-know-what out of both you and me, but I cannot help but ignore the obvious choice: I work hard at what I do because I want to succeed.

Everyone wants to succeed in what they do, no matter what it is. Ballerinas dance, hoping for a standing ovation, chefs cook, wanting their customers to enjoy an amazing meal, and construction workers labor for months on end just so they can see their project stand strong for years to come. Despite the many complexities in what humans pride themselves in, one truth remains: we work hard to succeed.

What seems to be a common quality among those who find success in what they do is that they are not sheltered people, in fact, the people at the top of their clubs, sports, and programs are true-blooded leaders, and that is demonstrated all over SUNY Poly.

To uncover any similarities and/or differences among the student leaders among us, I took it upon myself to interview a handful of these leaders to find out from their experiences if there is a single equation for success or if there are multiple paths to the top. In addition to their success in their respective fields, I also was curious in my approach as to whether there truly was a correlation between success and being a leader, or if that was just a niche stereotype.

The first person on campus who more than exemplifies both the qualities of leadership and success would be the Jazz & Hip-Hop Club president, Menloodjy Senejuste, a.k.a. Loo. Loo has been president of the club since 2023 but has been an active member since his freshman year. What makes Loo such a great fit for this position and why his club is so well organized is due to the passion he has for what he does. This love of his has been part of his life for as long as he could remember. With his brothers both being musicians and actively going to church with his family, Loo was able to confidently say, “I grew up around music.”

With the influence of music being so ingrained in him, it was just a matter of time before Loo would step up to be president of the Jazz & Hip-Hop. Despite not having many years of presidency under his belt, he has said that he has always felt like a leader in his life and it’s something that comes naturally to him. With terminology such as being “a people person,” and “an advocate,” as well as “an activist,” Loo finds his position as president to be suiting, and I am sure those in and outside of the club can agree.

When Loo looks at the student body of SUNY Poly, he asks himself the question “What is a way I can bring people together?” and his answer is music. Under Loo’s leadership, the Jazz & Hip-Hop Club has been one of SUNY Poly’s most influential clubs, hosting a plethora of events and actively trying to include students in feeling the power of music and community.

With the qualities Loo portrays, a huge start in uncovering our equation to success and leadership has been developed. A leader is someone who is passionate about what they do, as well as someone who can make other people feel that passion. The people who lead others act as their voice, someone who represents their people, and Loo is not complacent about himself either. Loo recognizes that even though he is president, the top of his club, he is not done growing as a leader or person, noting, “I strive to be better every day.” That mentality of self-growth will also be a key characteristic of what makes up our student leaders.

Switching over from Loo and the Jazz & Hip-Hop Club, we find our next student leader, volleyball team captain Samantha Dee, who shows exemplary leadership skills which are felt throughout the Women's Volleyball Third-year student Samantha Dee has been playing volleyball since the seventh grade but captains the Wildcats for the first time this season. With such a long history with the sport, Samantha’s leadership is already reminiscent of Loo’s with passion being a driving force for such a long time.

What Samantha firmly believes regarding her leadership is that to truly succeed, you must lead by example. Given the very young team she has, Samantha, as an upperclassman, finds it necessary to always be the best version of herself so that the other girls have someone to look up to and follow. By creating a safe space within the team, Samantha helps keep the morale of each individual player up, which in turn benefits the team as a whole. Again, qualities such as humility, patience, and understanding are at the heart of each leader, which brings us to our last student leader who was interviewed.

This fall, we elected a new student government president, and his name is Asa Guntert. Although he has just been elected as president, Asa has been a part of the SGU since arriving to SUNY Poly in February of 2023. Asa transferred over from his previous school SUNY Adirondack, but upon arrival at SUNY Poly, he had an interest in joining the SGU and making an impact at his new school. For the many of us who are not in the SGU, we often neglect how much responsibility comes with being a member, let alone the president. Asa, on a day-to-day basis, has a magnitude of tasks and work he must accomplish, and yet, he finds the time and effort to put the student body’s care before his own wants.

The qualities of courage and ambition are also crucial in maintaining a position of leadership, and Asa dual-wields both of those traits flawlessly. When asked about advice for people who might not know where to start in anything, Asa urges people to just “get involved.”

It is so easy for us to shut other people out, to just stay in our dorms and seemingly ignore the world, but from Asa’s experience, that could not be any more detrimental to one’s success. Getting out and meeting new people, experiencing new things, these instances are what Asa believes to be the cornerstone of success no matter where you go in life. The world we live in is all about connections, and the best way to build those connections is to get involved and participate in the community you are in.

As much as Asa stresses the idea of courage in stepping out of your comfort zone, the ambition he carries is what ultimately makes him such a prominent leader. Asa has big plans for our campus, and even though he could not disclose to me what they are, I know whatever he ends up putting in place will help keep our campus community together and happy. When put into a position of leadership, it is extremely important to have big dreams. While the expression may be a tad corny, when you think about it, you really can do anything you put your mind to, and I saw that expression of determination on each leader I got to speak with.

Although I interviewed three completely different people, they were all able to succeed in what they did because of very similar principles. Loo’s passion keeps the Jazz & Hip-Hop Club thriving, Samantha’s care and responsibility helps her team stick together, and Asa’s ambition will continue to lead the student body to greatness. Through my research I have found like-minded approaches to success within all three of them, it is also important to recognize the importance of our own individuality. No two people are exactly the same, and no two leaders will be either. What is crucial to realize is that success starts with one step, and that the good qualities we have identified in this article will evidently help your success lead other people as well.