Nadia Campbell seeks to provide UNC Charlotte students with outstanding personal development opportunities that result in improved leadership skills. This goal meshes with that of her office, Leadership & Community Engagement.
Last year, the Division of Student Affairs realigned and united the Center for Leadership Development with the Office of Volunteer Outreach to create Leadership & Community Engagement.
“I have always had an interest in how leadership affects a student’s perceived self-worth and self-esteem,” Campbell said. “Also, I am interested in how roles in leadership can prepare students for success in the future.”
A 2008 graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology, Campbell completed a Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in higher education administration from Louisiana State University in 2010.
She joined the University soon thereafter in the Office of Housing and Residence Life; she worked in Witherspoon Hall for two years, assisting international and Honors College students and student-athletes.
Through her interest in creating unique experiences for 49ers, Campbell became involved with the Popp Martin Student Union.
“I started volunteering at events like the Haunted Union and Late Night Breakfast,” she explained. “It was important for me to build those connections so that when the opportunity presented itself others knew the quality of my work.”
In 2012, her hard work yielded results as she was offered the position of assistant director with the Center for Leadership Development. Since the realignment, Campbell now teaches the course, “Leader, Service and Ethics (COMM 3136), and facilitates four leadership programs.
The Emerging Leader program, founded in 1980, is one of the University’s oldest offerings. Freshmen are selected for this opportunity, which helps them develop leadership skills through campus involvement.
LEAD is a team of student-trainers who facilitate workshops on various topics related to leadership, and the Institute by Leadershape Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to help students learn to lead with integrity.
The Forty-Niner Forum Speaker Series is the fourth program that Campbell facilitates; this offering brings diverse, dynamic speakers to campus to discuss their community involvement. Journalist/activist Jemele Hill was the most recent speaker; she shared her perspective on politics, race, gender and culture.
“My definition of leadership includes how students can make an impact and influence their community,” Campbell shared. “Our goal is that students become aware of who they are, in order to develop goals for making an impact on UNC Charlotte and beyond Niner Nation.”
In her spare time, Campbell is involved with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; she is the newly appointed communications team liaison for the organization’s Leadership Programs Knowledge Community.
She also advises GirlTrek: UNC Charlotte, which is an affiliate of GirlTrek, a public health nonprofit for African-American women and girls in the United States; the organization uses walking to inspire healthy living, families and communities.
Looking to the future, Campbell said she is considering studying for a doctorate. She hopes to research how leadership and self-esteem foster success for students in higher education.