Sophomore Trey Smith has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for September. A native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Trey came to the University of Arkansas to major in Theatre and Psychology. He is currently involved in the Theatre Department, Student Support Services, Academic Excellence Program, Black Student Association, and Student Alumni Board. Trey serves a Freshman Success Advisor and general hype man for the University of Arkansas. He has also participated in programs such as R.O.C.K. Camp and the Leadershape Institute.
Trey describes himself as a weird person who is not afraid to put himself out there, which ties into his advice for other student leaders. He said, “Don’t stop moving for fear of judgment. It’s easy to be a follower because you can do what everyone else is doing, but when you’re a leader you have to be willing to do what other people aren’t doing, and because they’re not doing it they’re going to look at you funny for doing it, and you have to know that and keep going.”
He credits JP Green with being a leader and a mentor. When asked why, Trey said, “He has taught me to embrace a healthy disregard for the impossible, and has taught me the importance of going into situations without preconceived notions and self-placed limitations on what can happen.”
When asked about his favorite quote, Trey responded with this quote from Haim G. Ginott, “I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
The Student Leader of the Month award, sponsored by New Student & Family Programs, recognizes University of Arkansas undergraduate students for their excellence in leadership through campus involvement, leadership activities, or through volunteer and community service. More information about the award can be found here.