Tara Summerfelt: Leadership

       Hey everyone! My name is Tara Summerfelt, and I am from Long Beach, California. I am currently majoring in Biology and Criminology with a minor in Leadership Studies. With these degrees, I want to pursue a career in Forensics. In order to get to know me a little bit better I’ll tell you that my favorite band is The Wrecks, I spend all of my Bulldog Bucks at Starbucks, and I have a goldendoodle puppy named Bodie who is my pride and joy. Due to the fact that I am quite committed to my studies, I spend my free time hanging out with friends and participating in my other commitments at Gonzaga. I look forward to hanging out with my sisters every week whether it be at service, meetings, or socials. I am so incredibly grateful to be part of such a wonderful community filled with great leaders and sisters.


        The Setons of Gonzaga have three pillars which are service, sisterhood and leadership. In this post I will be focusing on leadership due to the fact that the desire to be a good leader plays a very important role in my life. A good leader isn’t someone who is overpowering, a good leader is someone who listens to others and helps them grow as people. The leadership pillar states that we as Setons are responsible for striving to act in ways which embody a spirit of serving others before yourself and leading by example. Not only are we responsible for leading each other as Setons, we are responsible for leading those around us through service. I am part of the Comprehensive Leadership Program here at Gonzaga and am seeing constant crossovers between the leadership within that program and the leadership I see in Setons. The term servant leadership is practiced constantly in Setons. It is a style of leadership that focuses on the growth and well-being of people and the communities in which they belong. Although us Setons belong to the Gonzaga community, we also belong to the Spokane communities and all the communities within our service placements. Setons are sisters in service, but we are all leaders through sisterhood and service.