Certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership
Margaret Maison ’21
Hometown: Anomabo, Ghana 
Major: Biology and Society
How has your participation in the community-engaged leadership program supported you in helping people get along better? The leadership program has taught how to pay close attention to what people say and to respect differences in opinions.
Community-engaged leadership is … a type of leadership illustrated by a practice rather than a position. Community-engaged leadership through way by which a leader can become an asset to the community they serve through the collective effort of mentors and community partners.
I work with my community(ies) to address … issues of public health and epidemics in the country. I am passionate about water sanitation and ensuring that women living in under-resourced areas know of a way to get help when they need it.
My friends would say I’m … kind, down to earth, quiet and a good listener.
Fun fact: Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa gain independence, and we have the best jollof rice you can ever have.
The best part about the community-engaged leadership program is … that the Certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership is a great program that helps you transform a passion for community engagement into action. It builds you up as a leader and prepares you for effective work.
For my Stage 2 committed project, I … participated in the OKB Winter Project in 2019. This was a means for me to help address hypertension and diabetes in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and educating people on healthy living.
My community partner(s) taught me … how to mobilize resources I have in order to make the most out of the funds and human resources available. They also taught me how to listen attentively to the people in my community in order to identify their actual needs.
I plan to continue my journey as an engaged leader by … working on my post-capstone engagement plan and joining groups on campus that focus on water sanitation and food security.
Certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership
Build on your interests and apply your experiences (from courses to extracurricular activities) to this program to develop the skills you need to be a community-engaged leader.