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`As excuses pile sky-high because of school demands and so little time, students must remember one name. This person has overcome every obstacle in her way and emerged as an outstanding, yet humble leader on Millersville’s campus.
That person is Shannon Custer. Custer was the first student at Millersville University to be awarded the Peter Buchanan Scholarship. Custer was one of four who were chosen to win the award.
Every year, the Peter Buchanan Scholarship Program in conjunction with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and Affiliated Student Achievement Program (CASE ASAP) receives scholarship nominees from more than 300 campuses in America. This scholarship is awarded to students based on their involvement in an organization and how they emerge as a leader.
If selected as a winner, recipients receive money toward the cost of attending a national leadership convention. In 2009, the Student Ambassadors National Convention was held in Inner Harbor Baltimore, Md. It was here that students from more than 100 schools came together to participate in a leadership convention.
Custer, along with her co-president, performed a presentation for recruitment into Millersville University Student Ambassadors (MUSA). Ice-breaker games were played to learn more about the people attending the convention.
Among the many accomplishments gained by attending the convention, Custer and the MUSA placed in the top four for the spirit award and performed a show spreading their MU pride. She received a special opportunity to speak to the president of CASE ASAP one-on-one.
Custer said, “I walked away feeling proud that all my hard work paid off.” She was also thankful for the opportunity she had to learn more about her peers in MUSA and for her new found confidence. This confidence will become essential as she oversees the Student Ambassadors as president this year.
Custer is a woman of leadership. Attending Arch Bishop Ryan Catholic High School started her off in the right direction. She was president of the Sign Language Club, a track athlete, a member of the National Honor Society, a member of the year book staff, and secretary for an organization called Ryan for Life. Her leadership skills started at a young age and continue to blossom in her college career.
As the new students of Millersville University try to get acquainted with the campus, and returning students get back into the swing of things, it may seem hard to break away from college chaos. However, it is essential not only for the growth of Millersville as a campus but for individual growth that students become part of something bigger than themselves. Defying a hearing impairment, Custer answers the phone in the alumni office. Busy, but still finding time, she organizes paperwork for the alumni association and plans homecoming events. As a student, she meets every deadline while still finding time to preside over an organization.
“I just wanted to say that MUSA is a prestigious organization, which connects students with alumni. I wouldn’t have gotten through college without the people of this group. They are my support, and some of my best friends. In the end, going to this convention just brings us closer and we learn things about each other we would not on campus,” Custer said.
Instead of shirking away from leadership roles students could have on campus, they could learn from Custer. Joining an organization is beneficial. Students can gain a new support system away from home, members can become best friends, and they can learn to grow as a community as they learn more about each other. Students should follow in her footsteps and leave an imprint of their own.
New applications for the Peter Buchanan Scholarship are due by April 9, 2010 and will later be made available by accessing http://www.case.org.