A gulp of water is the last thing I remember before I flip on my laptop’s webcam, open a portal, and jump into a digital crowd composed of dozens of students from across the country, eager to hear from a slew of experts about Sigma Tau Delta’s upcoming 2023 Convention. It’s a chilly night in October—convention months away, and yet at the forefront of all our minds—but if the webinar I’m co-hosting were a physical space, it would be warm, jovial, but above all else, deeply familiar. I fall into these digital literary communes at least once a month as a Student Leader with Sigma Tau Delta’s Student Leadership Committee, meetings that serve as exciting sites of planning, purpose, and possibility. I unmute, and my voice drifts into the call as I walk students through vital convention-related logistics. Publicly, it’s one of many times that week I’ll put on my Student Advisor cap and support the work of Sigma Tau Delta and its students; privately, it’s a genuine thrill to offer so much to an international community through a shared passion of literature and scholarship.
Scratching these professional itches is one of many reasons why I’ve stayed with the Student Leadership Committee for three years now, first as a Student Representative for the Eastern Region, then later as a Student Advisor and voting member of the Board of Directors. Serving on the Board and leading a small cohort of fellow Student Leaders has been a rewarding learning experience, enormous responsibility, and true honor, one that’s left me with a feeling that there’s little I couldn’t do as a young professional. If you’re also driven by the desire to support the academics of students, gain firsthand experience and knowledge in the nonprofit sector, and create meaningful and lasting community in the process, it might be time to peek at the brief application on our website and draft a compelling treatise on this work of your own. If you’re still with me here and in need of more convincing, read on for a few more specifics.
An Unparalleled Professional Enrichment
Navigating professional spaces is strange enough as a student—not yet an autonomous adult, far from a total liability, often grappling with a status that puts you somewhere in between. Student Leadership bypasses this see-saw and elects you to a position of considerable creative freedom because the program knows you’re capable of it. Whether you’re representing a region of the Society and working in conjunction with a Regent, or steering the Student Leadership Committee as one of its two-year co-chairs, the role of a Student Leader comes with an incredible flexibility in how you support the students you’ve been invited to represent.
I’ve seen countless regional conferences, service project collaborations across chapters, and creative writing publications conjured by the hard work of Student Representatives and Associate Student Representatives by the end of their year-long positions. Elsewhere, Student Advisors conduct literary alchemy of their own in giving shape to the annual Student Leadership Workshop, numerous social activities, and creative public forums hosted by Student Leaders at the Society’s annual convention. And through all this, the Student Leadership Committee holds a monthly meeting of the minds to share progress on our ventures, brainstorm new ones, and continue our cohort’s support of the international community it represents.
A Long-Lasting, Literary-Driven Connection
Post-meeting debriefs while dining out, first-time navigations of a sprawling hotel floor plan, last-minute drives to local art stores for event-related supplies. This is often the internal supercut I’m left with after a successful convention, an exhausting but joyous time as Student Leaders convene in-person to reap the beautiful energy and camaraderie we’ve sowed over months of meetings and emails.
So often, I am reminded that despite the largely asynchronous nature of many of our responsibilities, our service to Sigma Tau Delta and its students transforms our (fully compensated) travel to and attendance of convention into essentially a homecoming. Collaborating and communicating with a pantheon of students who are equally stoked about poetry, syntax, and meaning-making often transforms this job from mere nonprofit work to something of an all-year English summer camp. Perhaps developing social media content, brainstorming new Society merchandise, even crafting a meeting agenda from scratch already sounds like deeply satisfying work to you. If you’re thinking about Student Leadership in the pursuit of such satisfactions, know that you’ll be breaking bread alongside peers who love, support, and share this mission of transforming the world with words. Don’t waste another second and apply to be one of those bread-breakers before the application closes on Monday, April 10.
Brett Iarrobino
Senior Student Advisor, 2021-2023
Alpha Chi Xi Chapter, Alum
Clark University, Worcester, MA
Sigma Tau Delta offers a number of opportunities for members to take part in the management of the Society. Participants gain firsthand information on the Society’s operations as well as play a part in the governance of and planning for Sigma Tau Delta.
Student members interested in expanding their Sigma Tau Delta experience beyond the chapter level are encouraged to volunteer for leadership opportunities at the Society’s regional and international levels.
Spring 2023 Opportunities
Application Deadline: April 10, 2023
Apply for Leadership Opportunities
Student Advisor (SA)
One of the two Student Advisors (SAs) is selected by the Board of Directors each spring. SAs serve for two years and provide the student voice as voting members of the Board of Directors. They also chair the Student Leadership Committee. SAs advocate for the needs and concerns of the student members of Sigma Tau Delta. The two SAs work together promoting the goals of the Society among its members.
Eligibility:
- Must be a Sigma Tau Delta member at a school with an active chapter; and
- Must plan on attending a school with an an active chapter, through the end of appointed two-year term (June 2023 – April 2025).
SA Duties and Application Requirements
SA Application
Student Representatives (SR) / Student Associate Representatives (ASR)
The 2023-2024 Student Representatives (SRs) and Associate Student Representatives (ASRs) will be appointed by the corresponding Regent. There will be one SR and one ASR appointed for each of the six Regions. Please refer to the Chapter Directory to determine which region your chapter is in.
Eligibility:
- Must be a Sigma Tau Delta member at a school with an active chapter; and
- Must plan on attending a school with an an active chapter, within the Region you apply for, through the end of appointed one-year term (June 2023 – April 2024).
SR/ARS Duties and Application Requirements
SR and ASR Application
Resources
View Details and Applications: 2023 Society Leadership Opportunities
SA Duties and Application Requirements
SR/ARS Duties and Application Requirements
Student Leadership: Bigger than Yourself
The Value of Joining Student Leadership
3 Reasons to Apply for Student Leadership
Why You Should Join Student Leadership
5 Reasons Why You Should Run for Student Leadership
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