One of the first things on my Rowan bucket list was to establish extracurricular involvements that would help me develop academically, a leader and a human being.

I was fortunate enough to secure my first E-Board nomination before the first day of classes even started my Freshman year. I didn’t become a nominee that quickly by demonstrating any particular merit or leadership skills; it was just because I showed up ready to put the work in and proved my commitment– and that’s all any club could really ask of its members.

Club E-boards are full of opportunities where students gain the organizational and leadership skills that will help them in the professional world.

Getting involved on the E-Boards of the clubs I cared about has been one of the best decisions I’ve made here at Rowan. From early on, I felt like I had a real opportunity to make a positive impact for causes that I cared about. Before I knew it, I was putting together my own club events and programs. 

The life-changing experiences I’ve been afforded on account of my participation in E-boards are too many to count. But the closest one will always be having been able to co-found, with my incredible peers, a club of our own.

During the pandemic, our fledgling club has gone through many of the problems that have befallen many clubs on campus, which were exacerbated on account of having not existed as a club before the pandemic. A strictly virtual format meant that event turnout dropped steadily, general meeting turnouts even more so and finding people to join our E-boards became all the more difficult. 

As the President of a small, new organization still in our petitioning process to become chartered, I can say that clubs everywhere are desperate for new membership. More importantly, clubs are looking to fill vacant positions on their E-Boards. 

So, to all my peers at Rowan University I say this: this is your time! Find a club that interests you, become a member, show up and apply for an open E-board position today. Rowan clubs need you.

We, at Rowan, are fortunate to have a diverse field of fantastic extracurricular opportunities for student activism, academic exploration, recreational activity and more. Student participation and leadership are the pillars upon which they stand, and without it, they cannot stand at all.

I can also promise that joining an E-board is not just an opportunity to help out a club that you care about – it is an opportunity to help yourself as well. Aside from which they are very nice resume additions that employers will like to see.

With that in mind, I hope all my peers at Rowan will take this message to heart: join an E-board today. You can help your favorite club thrive and help yourself develop as a leader all at the same time.

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