Leadership lived: Sophomore excels in planning major events on campus

As president of the Student Activities Committee (SAC), Ahja Howard, a sophomore accountancy and business administration major, is responsible for planning two of the biggest and longest-running student life events at the University of Illinois Springfield each year.

Planning UIS Homecoming and Springfest, a week-long competition where students face off in fun and educational games, is almost a full-time job for Howard.

“Springfest is a lot of work,” said Howard. “Springfest basically takes between 4 to 6 months to plan it. It’s really a lot of work and a lot of dedication and it’s a lot of commitment.”

Howard says she wanted to become SAC president in order to have a positive impact on the entertainment brought to campus for students.

“I love the opportunities that I have here,” she said. “I get so many opportunities every time I put myself out there.”

Outside of SAC, Howard also spends her time mentoring elementary school students in Springfield as a volunteer for the 4-H Mentoring Program. She was also recently inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and is a member of the Necessary Steps program, which is designed to help first-generation college students adapt to the university environment.

“I decided to come to UIS because I wanted to get away from home and I wanted to get a real campus college life,” she said. “I like the smallness of UIS, the class sizes and I like how diverse UIS is.”

The Chicago native plans to obtain a job at an accounting or business firm following graduation from UIS. She eventually wants to start a non-profit organization that would help minorities in applying for college or finding jobs after high school.

“You have to challenge yourself and know that it’s okay to fall and make mistakes,” she said. “UIS made me realize that I can do anything that I put my mind to, even the mentors and friends that I gained here helped me to understand its ok to fall, but always get back up and try again.”

Howard says she’s made many new friends at UIS and feels confident in her decision to attend the school.

“I gained so much being here,” she said. “If I could recommend a school to anyone, it would be this school. I love it.”