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Alexander Tadros

PSA student Alexander Tadros standing outside wearing a PSA shirt and smiling at camera.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WVU?

As a kid growing up in Morgantown, WVU was the last college I wanted to attend. However, when it came time to become serious about applying to schools and deciding where to go, it became apparent that WVU was the best choice for me. When looking deeper into WVU, I learned about aspects of the university that I had previously been unaware of or taken for granted. For example, WVU has countless programs and activities outside of the classroom that allow its students to build strong extracurricular transcripts. Growing up in Morgantown, it was also clear how big of an impact WVU makes on the surrounding community both within Morgantown and the rest of the state. There was no other university that I applied to or visited where the entire state both rallied around and benefitted from the university like WVU and West Virginia. I decided to go to WVU to be part of the team that did so much for my hometown and state.

What is your favorite Mountaineer memory?

My favorite mountaineer memory is attending WVU summer camps as a kid. WVU offers a variety of different summer camps to kids in the community, but the ones that I took part in that I remember the most fondly are the overnight soccer camp and the engineering challenge camp. These camps allowed me to make new friends outside of the ones I had from school and with whom I shared a similar interest. The soccer camp was the first time I had ever spent more than a few days “away” from home, so it was a very important milestone for me at the time.

Why did you want to become a PSA?

A leader focuses on achievement, inclusivity, and devotion to positively developing their community while motivating others to do the same. Another vital aspect of leadership is effectively communicating with both peers and audiences with whom you are less familiar. Communication skills are honed by practicing both sharing your own ideas as well as listening to those of others. It is a leader's role to create and maintain a creative space while simultaneously bridging the ideas of their peers and the subsequent plan of action that creates a better future.  I am hopeful that the Presidential Student Ambassador program will allow me to learn, practice, and apply these skills, which is why I am very honored to have the opportunity to participate.

What did you learn from the PSA experience?

Participating in the PSA program has taught me that learning how to be a strong leader is more than just learning how to speak effectively. It taught me that there are different styles of leadership and that each has its own characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Most importantly, I learned that to be a strong leader, it’s up to me to adopt the right leadership style when faced with different situations. On top of that, I learned that it’s ok not to be the primary leader in every dynamic you face. Learning how to be a willing and enthusiastic supporter is just as important as being a strong leader.

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