Immaculata University values its student leaders and the hard work they exhibit to make the university a better place. A prime example is Madison McGrogan ’21, a music education major from Philadelphia who is a first-generation college student. During her time at Immaculata, she was senior class president, peer tutor, member of Cue and Curtain theatre group, programming assistant for the Office of Student Life and an admissions ambassador. McGrogran will begin teaching music full-time this fall.
Q: Why did you decide to attend Immaculata?
A: First, I knew I wanted to major in music education, and Immaculata has a great music department. I also wanted to be close to home without being too close to home. Lastly, I wanted to come to Immaculata because I instantly felt comfortable on campus.
Q: What made you interested in getting involved around campus?
A: I was very involved in high school and knew that I wanted to make the most of my college experience. As a freshman, I took a chance and ran for a position within the Student Government Association (SGA) and won. That introduced me to many other student leaders, faculty and staff who were all heavily involved in the IU community.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a good student leader?
A: A good student leader is someone who is passionate about making a positive impact on the students they interact with. The best student leaders I have known are passionate about what they’re doing and are not in their role for the title.
Q: How have you seen effective change take place on Immaculata’s campus in your four years here?
A: SGA has been working to make our campus more sustainable and environmentally friendly, through educational events and our IU Earth initiative. The use of straws has been reduced on campus due to SGA’s efforts and their collaboration with Parkhurst [IU’s food service provider]. It may not seem like a huge change, but even the small things make an impact on reducing our campus impact on the environment.
Q: Has being a student leader in college changed you personally? In what ways?
A: It has definitely changed me. I was a leader in high school but not on such a large scale. I was afraid to call myself a leader then, but not anymore. I think I learned that I can be a female leader and not be labeled as difficult or bossy. There are so many strong, intelligent women in leadership positions across campus from President Lettiere to club presidents.
