By: Ellie Jackson
Ambition, drive, perseverance. These are all defining characteristics of leadership. Lydia Doss, a current undergraduate student, is bringing these characteristics to Belmont University through a new student organization. Lydia is a junior majoring in Corporate Communication and Political Science. She is from Lafayette, Tennessee and is currently interning with Melissa Agnes, author of the book, Crisis Ready. Building an INVINCIBLE Brand in an Uncertain World. Aside from her internship and academic life, Lydia is also a mentor for her hometown church’s youth group, a mission trip leader for Baja Missions group, and does numerous hours of volunteer work for local government, specifically voter registration and Election Day voting. With all of these commitments, you might assume that Lydia’s plate is full. However she is using her leadership skills to start a chapter of The Rotaract Club at Belmont University.
According to their website, “Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
The Rotary Club holds a special place in Lydia’s heart. She was involved with the Rotary Club in her hometown, and the organization provided her with amazing opportunities such as scholarships and leadership development. Rotaract is the student organizational within the Rotary Club, and it encourages students to help serve in their community while also developing connections within their community. Nashville’s Rotary Club is the fifth largest Rotary Club in the world. Lydia believes that this organization would be a wonderful opportunity for Belmont’s students. As she put it, “Then end goal is to have a close connection with the Nashville community, working on bettering the community and Belmont’s connection to it. I think that this a great chance for students to make improvements to the world, while also bettering themselves.” According to Lydia, new members can be as involved as much as they are able, however the more that they put in, the more they will get out. Given the emphasis on leadership development and community networking and engagement, Rotaract is ideal for Communication Studies and Corporate Communication students.
Lydia says she is excited for this new opportunity for students and Belmont. She even said that President Bob Fisher is actually a Rotary member! Lydia is working hard to get Rotaract off the ground at Belmont and is looking for new members. Anyone who would like to join may contact Lydia by email.