Claire Siegrist
Fordham IT is very proud of graduating senior Claire Siegrist, an information systems major in the Gabelli School of Business, who won Fordham University’s prestigious Senior Leadership Award. We asked her a few questions about her work with Fordham IT and the University:
Describe what you do for Fordham IT and anything you did at Fordham IT that elicited your nomination for the award.
I joined Fordham IT my freshmen year as an RTC (resident technology consultant). After two years of providing IT support to students, I joined Fordham IT’s Project Management Office (PMO) as an intern. In the PMO, our team of four interns coordinate IT project portfolio reporting to the CIO and Senior Leadership Team, and support the senior project managers on various projects.
In the PMO, we aim for a collaborative environment, sharing ideas and lessons learned to continuously improve our services to IT and the University community. As the most senior intern, I encouraged these values through orientation when new students joined our team and with support throughout their internships. My hope is that by setting an example and encouraging others I raised expectations of student work within the IT department and raised students’ expectations of themselves to learn and perform at their best.
What are some of the memorable leadership activities/roles you’ve taken on at Fordham?
One reason I chose Fordham was the opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. For me, two of those opportunities were the Social Innovation Collaboratory and the Concourse Group. The Social Innovation Collaboratory is a network of Fordham students, faculty, administrators, and community members who work together to promote social innovation through co-curricular projects and initiatives. For the past two years, I led a team of 5 undergrads in the Food Impact Investing Practicum, a project that created a rating system of sustainable food businesses to encourage investment in the space.
The Concourse Group is a nonprofit that provides pro bono business consulting services to entrepreneurs in the Bronx. I joined the staff of Fordham students my sophomore year. For the past two years, I have been co-director of the organization, doubling our staff to 25 students and client base to four clients. As director, my role involves recruiting and training students, building client relationships, and supporting engagements throughout the academic year.
How would you describe good leadership to another student?
Having had opportunities to work with and learn from great leaders, I would say good leaders know when to step up and when to step back. They can progress towards a common goal while enabling the whole team to take ownership and pride in their work. Good leaders are constantly critical of their skills and actively work to improve them.
Why does good leadership matter?
Put simply, good leadership gets stuff done. We accomplish goals efficiently when someone steps up to encourage, coordinate, and strategize for the team. Regardless of their field or leadership style, good leaders inspire us to be better people.
Fordham University’s Senior Leadership Award is awarded each year to six to eight seniors who exhibit the ability to lead, organize, empower and inspire fellow students. Each nominee should possess a high degree of commitment, creativity, innovation, initiative and integrity. As quality leadership is a way of conductive one’s self and not merely possessing a title or position, candidates need not have held positions of high visibility.
Are you a student who would like to work for Fordham IT? Check out Fordham IT’s paid work opportunities for students.
