Meet Sophia Alston (PLSP-ECMC Foundation fellow)
Meet Sophia Alston. Alston’s interview appears as part of a spotlight series on 2020–21 fellows in the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation.
What leadership skills do you hope to develop as part of the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation?
By joining this fellowship program, I hope to build my networking skillset. Having access to fellows across the nation who focus on the same population of students will allow me to build relationships and learn about various programs and initiatives being implemented to support CTE students. Building partnerships is critical to the success of my students. Therefore, this program will help me learn how to start and grow effective partnerships. Through working with my mentor, leading presentations, completing assignments and attending webinars, I will become more confident in my leadership skills while building a plan to achieve my professional goals.
How do you anticipate your participation in the program will better equip you to support career and technical education (CTE) students, particularly underserved groups, toward career success?
The program is helping me better support CTE students by providing me with access to knowledgeable colleagues who support CTE students. I have a great mentor helping me mediate institutional challenges and plot the steps necessary to achieve my career aspirations. By analyzing former supervisors and my leadership style, I am becoming more aware of how I can become a stronger leader. Having access to other fellows and being afforded the space and time to explore my strengths and weaknesses, while also plotting my professional path, is making me a stronger leader, better able to support CTE students.
In your opinion, what are the most important elements of professional development for postsecondary leaders?
Professional development that helps a postsecondary leader communicate a vision of their programs and initiatives to stakeholders within and outside of their organization is crucial. In order to accomplish this, postsecondary leaders need training on building effective networks and partnership.
Mentorship is important to the success of a postsecondary leader. Therefore, learning how to establish and navigate a successful mentorship relationship is critical. Having the space to analyze your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader is vital. In addition, learning strategies on how to be an effective leader, such as managing up, across and down, is also important.
Learn more about the PLSP–ECMC Foundation.
The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation presents a yearlong professional development experience. The program is intended to develop the organizational leadership and management skills of postsecondary CTE professionals, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of underserved populations. Applications for the third cohort accepted Oct. 1–Dec. 15.
