Ashley Wood/south news editor

Leadership skills can be an important part of students’ lives, so South has chaptered a brand new leadership society.

Student development services director Jared Cobb helped start the Sigma Alpha Phi chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success on South.

Cobb said 200 students paid their initial dues, and 100 of those students attended orientation.

“They did a query through the system and sent an email out to students that said, ‘Hey, if you’re interested in learning more about leadership skills and developing successful behaviors, reply back,’ and they sent a link with the email,” he said.

The national chapter lets each individual chapter come up with its own requirements, Cobb said.

“I think their goal is not to really have a minimum GPA, just for the student to be in good standing,” he said. “The idea is that leadership can take any form or fashion. You don’t want to say only leaders can be smart, high GPA students.”

The 100 students who showed up ranged from the student government president to students joining their first organization, Cobb said.

“In order to be inducted after you enroll, you have to go through orientation, leadership training day, be in success networking teams that meet three times a semester and also watch three speaker series as well,” he said.

Induction for the fall semester will be held Dec. 7, Cobb said.

“If a student wasn’t able to make orientation or leadership training in the fall, they will have an opportunity in the spring,” he said.

The chapter will have different steps along the way, Cobb said.

“They call them pillars. One is establishing an executive board, which is basically securing a co-adviser,” he said.

South student Jonathan Kigigha said when he saw the invitation to join, he jumped at the chance.

“I think this is the perfect opportunity for me to be able to work with the student body or become a part of something where I can grow and grow professionally,” he said.

Kigigha said the leadership training day was phenomenal because all the students who joined didn’t know each other yet still formed bonds quickly.

“We have this thing going on called pillars, and we build on those pillars. So one pillar can be we have been able to gain 40 new members after induction,” he said. “I hope for the society that we get to 10 pillars to make us well-known and inspire other campuses.”

South student Taylor Gaines said she received her invitation to join over the summer. She did some research and loved what it stood for.

“What made me join NSLS is the fact that it’s all about leadership, and I am all about trying to become a better leader for others and wanting to help out others who want to become better leaders,” she said.

Gaines said she hopes the experience makes her the best leader she can be by listening to others and learning from them.

“I can then go out into my community and to my peers and be that person that they can learn from and inspire them to want to be,” she said.

The society will help with her resume and the transfer process because jobs and universities look for people they know can be a great leader, Gaines said.

“People they know who won’t be scared to jump out there and take chances and are confident in themselves to do anything,” she said.