The Starfish and the Student Leader: Why Small Acts Matter More Than You Know

“It might just look like a tiny starfish pin. But to me — and to the students I hand it to — it represents something so much bigger. It’s a reminder that leadership isn’t always loud or grand or headline-worthy. Sometimes leadership looks like kindness. It looks like encouragement. It looks like showing up for just one person, in just one moment, and making a difference that only they may ever fully understand. We may not change the whole world — but we can change someone’s world. And that’s the heart of what student leadership is all about.”

The Art of the Word “Maybe”

The word no ends conversations. It closes doors. It tells a student — or a colleague — that there’s no path forward. And yet, so often, that no is based on systems or assumptions we’ve never challenged. A form, a deadline, a requirement — something that feels immovable until someone dares to ask, why not?