Panhellenic Executive Council President leads her team with integrity, self-confidence and positivity

Southeast Missouri State University junior Taylor Shinabargar was appointed president of the university's Panhellenic Executive Council at the end of December.

Shinabargar served as the Panhellenic delegate within her sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, when she was a sophomore, and decided to take a step up into the more prominent leadership position.

Shinabargar said holding the position of delegate was the catalyst for becoming the president of Panhellenic as a junior. The St. Louis native said she's proud to be considered a leader on campus and looks forward to what the future of the position holds.

What are you involved with on campus?

I'm first involved with the sorority Tri Sigma. [During] freshman year I decided to go out for recruitment to branch out and make friends, and Tri Sigma ended up being my home. Now, two years later, I am the Panhellenic president. I decided to get involved with Panhellenic because I wanted to take on a bigger and more challenging role within the Greek community, and the opportunity came, so I took it.

What do you do as president of the Panhellenic Executive Council?

As president, I mostly look over the other women in their positions and make sure they're getting their jobs done. If someone has a question that none of the other exec members can answer, they can come to me. So I try and find the right answer and get it to them. I basically just deal with the big picture of Panhellenic.

Did you participate in any clubs or activities in high school?

I played varsity volleyball, basketball and [did] track. I was the volleyball captain my senior year. I was also in yearbook, and I was the lead photographer, I guess is what you would call it.

What did it take to lead your teams successfully?

I had to be patient, understanding and strong-willed.

Did those skills help you when you became Panhellenic president?

I would say they did. They helped me learn exactly what to do and say to be a good leader and also helped me learn from my mistakes so I wouldn't make those same mistakes now as president.

How do you think being Panhellenic president will help you in your future?

I'm not 100 percent on what I want to do with my future. I know I want to do something in the recreation field, and an idea would maybe be a manager of a parks and rec center or something along those lines, so being a leader in college would obviously help me be a leader in my future career. It'll definitely give me experience and knowledge of leading other people.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of taking on a leadership role like this?

Advantages of being a leader are getting experience for the real world, and disadvantages are, I guess, all the bad things that come with it. So like if something bad happens, people will be coming to me, and I have to step up and take responsibly for that and try and figure out a way to fix it and make everything OK and everyone happy.

What do you think it takes to be an effective leader?

I think it takes integrity, confidence, being agreeable and social. You have to be able to know how to talk to people, and you can't be afraid to take charge whenever those bad situations happen.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to step up and become a leader on campus?

I would tell them to follow your dreams and go after whatever you want to do with your life. Don't be afraid; don't hold back; just go for it. The worst thing that can happen is being told no, and even that can build you up and can make you into a better person so you can find another leadership position that might be better for you anyway.