Madison Schaefer

Professor Michelle Kusel

ELPS 223 001

November 6, 2018

Leader Prototype

What is a leader? What characteristics made a leader effective? What is the relationship

between a leader and all other members? These are questions I thought I had the answers to

when I began my journey through the Leadership Minor at Loyola. However, through learning

the ins and outs of leadership and exercising the deconstruction and reconstruction of its

theories, I have come to realize that the answers to these questions will perpetually change

depending on the environment of which I am in. In my experience of being a Peer Advisor, I

have been able to ask and answer these questions in the more concrete sense of a real-world

experience in which leadership is a cornerstone. Prior to this assignment, I had never really

considered precisely what a leader looks like in Peer Advising simply because each person

involved in the organization has leadership qualities, otherwise they would likely not be a

member in the first place.

Thus, I decided to interview my supervisor and fellow Peer Advisors to get an idea of

what they perceive as being a leader in Peer Advising. My advisor claimed that a leader is an

empathetic person who puts the needs of the group before themselves and is a part of the

group, not a separate entity. She applied her definition of leadership to Peer Advising by

bringing up the point that since a Peer Advisor is also a student, they are both a leader and

group member, which establishes a very trusting relationship them and the student. Thus,
since students potentially see themselves in Peer Advisors, they are more likely to idolize them

and take their. Similarly, a couple of my fellow Peer Advisors defined leadership as someone

who inspires action through their example and guidance. This relates to Peer Advising in that

our job is to act as a mentor in sharing what we know in order to help students succeed. After

reflecting on my experiences as well as the perspectives of others in the organization, I feel the

leader prototype of Peer Advisors can be seen as someone who leads by example with the

interest of the students at heart. This prototype is rather flexible intentionally as I feel there

are no set “looks” or characteristics of leaders in Peer Advising as everyone has such different

personalities, identities, and leadership styles however, we all have come together with the

goal of making the transition to college a bit easier for first year students. A successful leader in

Peer Advising is someone who makes an effort to engage with the students on a relatable level,

provide them resources and opportunities to learn about Loyola and Chicago, and is able to

establish a level of respect with the students through practicing what they preach. Whether it

be in the classroom, in weekly meetings with supervisors, discussions with the leadership team,

or through self-reflection, Peer Advisors are constantly being evaluated on how one can

improve on achieving the desired leader prototype, as most all Peer Advisors would agree,

there is always room for improvement in their respective positions.

The mission of First and Second Year Advising, through which Peer Advising is run, is to

advise students on how to transition from high school to college, learn about the Jesuit ideals,

and guide them in successfully achieving their academic and personal goals. My leader

prototype of Peer Advisors aligns well with the mission of First and Second Year Advising in that

Peer Advisors have successfully done all of these things and thus, are able to lead by example
with the goal of aiding the students in attaining all of these goals as well. For instance, Peer

Advisors are selected based on their successful transition into college, their understanding and

ability to live out the Jesuit ideals, they have achieved academic merit, and are involved in

other areas of campus. In being able to point to direct examples of success, the Peer Advisor is

more reliable and is ultimately able to guide students in achieving these same accolades. The

major community targeted in Peer Advising is obviously first year students. I believe my leader

prototype relates to this community as freshman are seeking someone to look up to and Peer

Advisors are built in mentors through the University Curriculum. They understand the struggles

of being a first year student but, are also an example to students that they can get through it

and become a better person in the end.

Although I would argue that Peer Advising is a rather diverse organization which breaks

many hegemonic norms and ideologies through valuing people and ideas of different

backgrounds greatly and respectfully, flaws can almost always be found. As mentioned above,

Peer Advisors are made up of students who have gone above and beyond in their academic and

university endeavors. Although it makes sense to have these students as mentors, this can

perpetuate the ideology that only the best can succeed. Thus, if first year students perceive

their Peer Advisor is an extraordinary student, it may lower their ability to relate to them and

further decrease their confidence in actually being able to successfully complete college, as

they view the status of their mentor as unattainable. Additionally, my leader prototype could

privilege those who are more extraverted in that it is easier to be perceived as a leader by

students if one is comfortable engaging with them and sharing life experiences.
 When reflecting on the leader prototype I developed for Peer Advisors, I feel that I fit

into it quite well. I have always admired leaders that have the ability to lead by example as I

feel that this is the most effective and impactful way one can lead. Through my academic

success, involvement in the university, and drive to always be the best person I can be, I believe

that my students are able to see this and take it as inspiration. The aspect of my leader

prototype that I am less aligned with, however not completely disconnected from, is that of

keeping the interest of the students at heart. In the classroom, I feel that I truly do achieve this

as I constantly work to engage with the students and provide my aid and expertise as much as I

can. However, an important aspect of Peer Advising is engaging students outside the classroom

as well. I do love doing this however, my heart is often not completely in it as I am so busy with

academics and other extra curriculars, I occasionally find it bothersome to plan my required out

of classroom engagement activities or meet with students per their request as it is feeding into

time that I could be devoting elsewhere. However, I firmly believe that in order to be the best

leader I can be as a Peer Advisor, I need to be there for my students all of the time, not just

when it is convenient. Although this is my second year in the organization, I continue to

evaluate myself and have perpetually found areas of which I can improve in order to align

myself with the leader prototype and be the best Peer Advisor I can be.