Bennett College SGA President: A Journey of Leadership and Growth
“You are here to make a difference, to either improve the world or worsen it. And whether or not you consciously choose to, you will accomplish one or the other.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
Greetings! My name is Paige Matthews, and I am a senior Business Management major from Atlanta, Georgia. I am proud, humbled and elated to have been elected as the Bennett College Student Government Association President for the 2017-2018 academic year.
I do not and will not take this position in vain, for many are unaware of what I endured and the personal growth that led to my acceptance of this leadership position. I have always had a loving and supportive group of people, “my village,” behind me. My troubles relating to motivation and yearning for a purpose began in high school. I attended a school where very little support and hope were given to black students. As such, I immediately felt discouraged about attending college. Fortunately, by the second semester of my junior year, I had the opportunity to visit Bennett College twice. I can’t put into words the feelings I experienced as I graced my campus: beautiful buildings, historical landmarks, the small and close-knit campus, and, most importantly, the people. I encountered nearly twenty people in ten minutes and every single person said “Good Morning”. Their friendliness assured me that I was entering an institution that generally cared about the well-being of its students – one where I would feel comfortable. It quickly became apparent to me that Bennett Belles carry themselves professionally and know what they hope to achieve in life. The hospitality and customer service that was shown to me during my visits were key in helping me decide to attend the College.
Because of Bennett College, I have discovered my strengths, my talents and my purpose. I have served on many leadership positions at Bennett, which I believe molded and prepared me for my current position as SGA President. Last year, I started Divine Unity, a mentoring organization for young college women. Through starting Divine Unity, I learned about the importance of leadership and my impact on others. I worked two jobs to financially support the organization, and believe it or not I stayed up virtually all night, at times, working on the logistics for the business and devising ways to effectively guide my team for success. I said all of that to say I would do it all over again if necessary because I grew from the experience and now understand the demands of leadership and how selfless one must be to accomplish goals for the betterment of the community. I am on fire for Bennett! Likewise, I appreciate what she has done for me and my sisters. It’s only right that I give back by continuing my leadership role and working to be the change my sisters, the community, future Belles and the world wish to see for not only African-American people but black women in particular.
I pride myself on putting into action these three powerful words: Impact, Influence and Inspire. I encourage you to let these words guide, motivate and galvanize you to push forward. Every morning when I awaken, I am constantly reminded that there is much work yet to be done in this world, not to mention here at Bennett College. As your 2017-2018 SGA President, I vow to do as much of the necessary work as I can.
Sincerely,
Paige Matthews
Your 2017-2018 SGA President
