In some ways, Elijah Geise is a typical Carroll Community College student. He will graduate in May, 2007. He is a business administration major. He has plans to transfer to a four-year college.

In other ways, Geise has set himself apart as a role model and student success story. That’s because he has volunteered much of his time to serve in leadership positions in campus student organizations. Moreover, he has successfully juggled these responsibilities with a part-time job at Office Depot.

Admittedly a shy person, Geise has reaped the confidence-building rewards of being active on campus. Geise first got involved in the Campus Activities Board, a student-run planning body for activities for students, including social, recreational, and cultural events.

One of his tasks was to plan a student trip to New York City, which was held to expand students’ cultural experiences. His next volunteer position was election to the Student Government Organization (SGO) as a general member. After a period of time, Geise became the group’s secretary, a position he held from fall 2005 to spring 2006. Not only did his organizational skills flourish, but just as importantly, his ability to work with different people and represent student needs grew dramatically.

At Carroll, the secretary of the SGO serves on the college Senate as a student representative. The SGO secretary reports student activities and concerns. Geise assumed this role effectively. Issues that have come before the group include student parking availability and smoking policy changes outside
the college building.

“This experience gave me a rare opportunity to be the voice of students at Senate meetings. I had a sense of empowerment on behalf of the student population,” said Geise.

Geise is also well-grounded academically. He is an officer in the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. He plans to transfer to the University of Baltimore to study accounting. He received a Wilson Scholarship and a Dean’s Merit Scholarship from the university, and an SGO transfer scholarship, the total of which covers his entire tuition at the four-year college. Eventually, he hopes to become a C.P.A. He entertains the notion of relocating someday for a dream job in the field.

Reflecting on his time at Carroll, Geise cannot say enough about the benefits of serving as a student leader. “It has been a personal growth experience for me. At the same time, I served the needs of others.”

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