OASC Newsletter | February/March 2017-1-

HOW TO DECIDE WHAT COMES FIRST WHEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT?by Cathy Kay, Hermiston

All projects, especially large, complex projects or events need clear priorities. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Things happen, no matter how well-planned; “snow days”, unexpected schedule changes, testing, assemblies, you might need to re-prioritize. But still, knowing how to prioritize affects the success of your project or event, the involvement of your leadership students, and your role as a leader. One of the biggest challenges for leaders is accurately prioritizing the work that matters on a daily basis.

To help manage our student’s workload, we have a few steps that we use to prioritize our projects;

1. Make a calendar of all upcoming events. Put together every task that is coming up, don’t worry about the order or the number of things that are going to be happening.

2. Identify urgent vs. important. The next step is to see if there are any tasks that need immediate attention. I am talking about tasks that if not completed by the end of the day will have negative consequences. If not, make a list and assign either high or low urgency or importance;

Urgent vs. Important High High Most important High Low 3rd most important Low High 2nd most important Low Low Lowest3. Order tasks by effort. If you’re still not sure

how to get started on the projects that aren’t quite as important or urgent, I like to start on whichever one I think will take the most effort to complete. Sometimes it’s nice to get some of the smaller projects completed, so I would suggest going with your gut and do that.

4. Be flexible and adapt. You never know when the weather or schedule changes are going to keep you from completing a project, uncertainty is a given. But you also want to stay focused on the tasks you’re committed to completing and do it if possible.

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Stephen Covey

707 13th St. SE Suite 100Salem, OR 97301

@OASCLeaders

/OASCLeaders

OASCLeaders

Upcoming Events• Feb. 18-20: Winter

Energizer, The Magic of Leadership

• March 1: Camp Staff Notifications

• March 1: COSA Scholar-ships DUE Details Online

• March 1-4: CADA Con-ference for Advisers in San Diego

• March 24-April 2: Nica-ragua Service Trip

• April 5: LAST DAY for Regular Spring Confer-ence Pricing

• April 6: Adviser of the Year Applications DUE

• April 6: Student Council Program Recognition Portfolios DUE

• April 12: OASC Camp Scholarship Application Round 1 DUE

Hands On LeadershipOregon Association of Student Councils Bimonthly Newsletter | October/November 2016

ISSUE TOPIC:Leaders put first things first.

How do you decide what comes first?

OASC Newsletter | February/March 2017 -2-

OASC ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Stephanie Matheson by Katie Beer

Stephanie Matheson wears many hats; A graduate of University of Oregon, Co-founder of Klamath Youth Basin Without Borders, Business Owner, Volleyball Coach, Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, Miss Oregon USA Pageant Contestant and OASC Alumna.

“The important moments … that made a changing impact on my life ranged from doing service trips in developing and third-world countries, having a few teachers who were mentors, and attending OASC events,” says Stephanie. “All of these events helped me gain a sense of self, and gave me the platform to pursue my dreams. “

Stephanie became involved with OASC during the summer before her senior year of high school. She attended Summer Leadership Camp at Western Oregon University where Boundary Breaking and Serenade were her favorite events. She

stayed involved with OASC becoming a Junior Counselor and volunteering at Spring and Fall Conference.“OASC empowers students to be confident in themselves, follow their dreams, and gives them the tools they need to be the

change they wish to see in the world.”As the co-founder of Klamath Youth Basin Without Borders, Stephanie used the tools she learned from OASC to lead service

trips to Trinidad, Macedonia, and will be leading a group this year to Thailand. While she does this, she uses what she believes to be the most important leadership characteristic: motivation and empowerment. This year she created a clothing line entitled EmpowHer Apparel “to motivate, inspire, and promote the empowerment of women by developing a community of strong, independent boss-babes who find confidence in themselves.”

“Steph is one of the kindest, warmest people you will meet,” says Ben Bowman, friend and fellow OASC Alumni. “Her passion shines through in everything she does; that’s why she’s such a powerful leader, because she leads with her heart. One thing I really appreciate about Stephanie is that she understands that the challenges facing our generation are not limited to Klamath Falls (where she’s from), or Oregon, or even the United States. She has the unique and powerful ability to get people to think globally and feel inspired to create change.”

While she strives to lead by example, Stephanie understand the pressures that come with being a leader. “Growing up can be tough: so many teens struggle with self-confidence, anxiety, and depression etc. As someone who struggled with clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety, I want to teach students that it’s ok to ask for help and that things do get better. I want them to know that they’re not alone and that they matter.”

Stephanie’s love of sharing confidence and motivation toward others expands farther than her resume. However, one major accomplishment is placing as 1st runner up at the Miss Oregon USA Pageant in 2015.

“Everything I have done in my community, with OASC, and ultimately in my life have contributed to my success in pageantry. It’s definitely been a long journey, but each year I grew and I learned more about myself and what I have to offer. Last year, I stepped onto the Miss Oregon USA stage knowing exactly who I am and what I want to do. I owe that to my OASC experiences and the people I have met along the way. I think each and every one of those experiences helped me place as 1st runner-up. They have continued to prepare me to compete for the job of Miss Oregon USA 2017… I know that as Miss Oregon USA, or wherever I am in life, that I want to continue to give back to the organization that has given so much to me.”

We are proud to call Stephanie Matheson an Alumna of Oregon Association of Student Councils. Her work in her community, state and around the world inspires all of us to empower and motivate others.

For more information about the organizations Stephanie is Associated with, check out the links below:https://www.empowherapparel.orghttps://www.facebook.com/kbyouthwithoutborders/

FACEBOOK.COM/oascleaders | INSTAGRAM: @oascleaders | TWITTER.COM/oascleadersFollow OASC on Social Media!

OASC Newsletter | February/March 2017-3-

The struggles of Time Managementby Chelsea Armstrong, At-Large Representative

As a leader, time management can be one of the hardest obstacles to tackle, especially for those that are deeply entrenched in their school culture. Many student leaders struggle with constant doubling booking and overworking themselves, but avoiding

burning the candle at both ends is actually very simple. The solution to these two common predicaments is as simple as one word: prioritize.

Prioritizing is one of the most difficult acts a leader must partake in to become more successful. Developing a hierarchy of your commitments is challenging and varies from person

to person. As an example, some administrators put the needs of their building first while others put the needs of their student body first. For leaders, we must choose between “What service

project/event matters more to me?,” “What will benefit the community more?,” or, “What will have greater impact on my future?,” which are most often difficult, if not impossible for

some. In situations like these I will often pick what benefits the greater collective and put that first, then I work with the other two as they come along. This requires a small sacrifice from the subsequent priorities but yields a greater benefit for the task with the

most impact. Putting one thing first, especially when you care immensely about everything in which you are involved, is challenging, but it’s a hurdle that we have all faced at some point or another.

Asking an advisor about what would be best for you is often the best option due to the higher level of experience they have had with situations such as these. Prioritizing, while it

can be stressful, truly is a life skill that will benefit you for years to come.

STUCO

Power

One of the things I realized is that if you do not take control over your time and your life, other people will gobble it up. If you don’t prioritize yourself, you constantly start falling lower and lower on your list...

Michelle Obama

Is Leadership Camp on your summer Bucket List?

“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.” Attending an OASC Summer Leadership Camp is like opening one of those doors. This is an opportunity to meet students from around the state, learn how to be the best leader you can be, and have some of the most fun of your life!

Whether you’re involved in student council, MECHA, Key Club, DECA, Na-tional Honor Society, an athletic team, the school musical, FFA or just want to be-come a better leader – our summer camp is for you! Our program offers something for everyone. We encourage you to take a few days out of your summer to join us – it will be one decision that you won’t regret!

Join us this summer! Discover & Learn

• College Readiness

• Internships, careers

• Goal Setting & Dream boards

• Public Speaking

• Public Relations

• Marketing

• Community

• How to Present OASC

• Transitioning to HS leadership

• Equity

• ConflictResolution

• School Culture

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