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- BLI announces a new Access Opportunity
- Barger Leadership Institute is moving!
- BLI Announces New Partnership with The London Idea
- Former Jet Blue CEO donates $10 million to Barger Leadership Institute
- BLI Hires a New Assistant Director
- BLI to Co-Host ‘Extreme by Design’ Film Screening, Discussion
- BLI awards Small Grant for Halfway Hijabi event
- BLI Launches New Capstone Experience
- BLI Launches New Fellows Program Structure
- Keep Calm and Lead On
- BLI Fellow Wins Wolverine Tank Pitch Contest
- BLI Congratulates Mya Haynes
- BLI Alumni Receive 2015-2016 Fulbright Honor
- The 2018 London Ideas Project is Announced
- Congrats to BLI partner Sandra Levitsky for being awarded the Golden Apple!
- Congrats to BLI Fellow and Peer Facilitator Elisabeth Benham
- Tales of Leadership: The Advanced Fellows Journey
- Welcome to the 2018 Capstone Cohort!
- BLI welcomes new director!
- BLI Across the Pond
- BLI Hosts Voting Guru Nancy Thomas
- Ram Mahalingam's award winning film to be screened at two film festivals.
- The Capstone Experience with the Migrant Education Initiative
- The Mindful Leader - Becoming an Engaged Leader
- A Weekend of Mindful Leadership
- Introducing the 2019 Capstone Teams
- The Peer Facilitator Experience
- Dinners with...
- BLI Students Start Small and Dream Big in Detroit
- From Freshman to Senior Year -- Four Years of Leadership Learning
- BLI Speaker Series: Food For Thought
- BLI Director, Ram Mahalingam featured in the Record
- Capstone Bootcamp 2019
- In a Distracted World, Solitude is Practice for Tomorrow’s Leaders
- A Conversation on Mindfulness, Bias and Racial Justice — a podcast with Ram Mahalingam
- The Mindful Leaders Retreat — Laying a Foundation
- Being a good leader is knowing when to practice gratitude
- Channeling Mindfulness
- Compassionate Leadership: Creating a Just, Inclusive and Mindful Society with Mirabai Bush
- Dinners With...
- Announcing Capstone 2020 Teams!
- Meet our 2020 Leadership Lab Teams!
- Leading Mindfully
- A Senior's Reflection on Peer Facilitating
- Expect Challenges
- Reflecting Back and Looking Forward
- From Leadership Lab, to Peer Facilitator, to Program Assistant
- Project Healthy Schools Global
- Learning to be an Effective Leader
- Leading Life with Dignity: A Challenge of Our Time
- Pause, Reflect, and Create
- What's Happening in the Lab?
- Capstone 3D Virtual Gallery
- Announcing the Break Away Podcast!
- BLI Advanced Fellow featured in M-LEAD's Leadership Lens Series!
- Two BLI Advanced Fellows Receive the Renowned MLK Spirit Award
- Stand Against Asian Violence
- BLI Hosts Alumni Panel
- Announcing the BLI's 2021 Capstone Cohort
- BLI Offers COVID-19 Hardship Grants
- ALA 175: Foundations in Leadership
- The Peer Facilitator Leadership Experience
- What's Happening in the Lab
- Capstone Boot Camp 2021
- Mindful Leader Reflection
- Learning to Lead with Compassion: A Mindful Leadership Retreat
- Okanagan Charter
- Foundations in Leadership, a Peer Facilitator Perspective
- Heart-Centered Leadership with Rebecca Irby
- Announcing the 2022 Leadership Certificate Cohort!
- Welcome the 2021-22 Mindful Leader Fellowship cohort!
- BLI Peace Leadership Retreat in Detroit
- BLI director awarded the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award
- Seithur Sanitation Initiative receives the MLK Spirit Award
- The Michigan Difference Student Leadership Awards
- Feedback is Love
- Deepening the Foundations for Equity and Renewal
- Creating Leaders – Being a Peer Facilitator at the BLI
- M-LEAD Leadership Lens Feature: Kaitlyn Colyer
- M-LEAD Leadership Lens Feature: Mya Harris
- What's Happening in the Lab
- The Leadership Certificate at the University of Michigan: Cohort 1
- Color of Care Reflection
- Mindful Leader Retreat Recap
- Social Transformation, a Passionate Community of Scholars
- The Michigan Difference Student Leadership Awards
- Break Away Podcast
- BLI Weekend in Detroit
- Leadership Lens with Olivia O'Connell
- Leadership Lens with Becky Woolf
- Leadership Philosophy Reflection
- Senior Reflection, Renuka Murthi
- Dignity and Well-being in the Workplace: A French Perspective
- BLI – Year One
- Teaching Leadership, a Senior Reflection
- A Weekend of Reflection, Football, and Building Connections
- A Weekend of Inspiration: Football, Fellowship, and Learning from Leaders
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My journey as a peer facilitator began when I took ALA 175 (Foundations in Leadership) in Fall 2021. The peer facilitators in my class encouraged me to apply as a PF, and I excitedly applied. Before I could step into the classroom, I had to first undergo six weeks of training. These 2-hour sessions consisted of a variety of learning opportunities like case studies, role-playing difficult scenarios, discussions, and more active learning moments for peer facilitators to learn mindful leadership while creating a close-knit community built on trust and vulnerability. I appreciated the training and the amazing lead peer facilitators for continuously demonstrating how team-building doesn’t have to run parallel to growth opportunities. It was especially amazing seeing how the entire peer facilitator team adapted the dynamics between each other as we learned more about each other and as we changed the situations we found ourselves in. When we spoke of improving in-classroom experiences for virtual individuals, we leaned more on peer facilitators who took the class virtually to hear feedback and experiences. When we played through different scenarios of possible classroom disruptions, we looked toward our lead peer facilitators for their suggestions and expertise.
Like the BLI always says, feedback truly is love! Reflecting on my first semester as a peer facilitator, I grew at the exponential rate I’ve grown because of the constant feedback from Fatema, the other peer facilitators, and students. Feedback played an active role in my classroom experience. I particularly remember this one instance in the classroom that stuck with me that reinforces the idea of feedback for personal and professional growth. As the peer facilitator for the amazing group of students I advised, my proudest moment of them was when a lightbulb went off in their heads about the direction of their project. After they received feedback from me, and the other peer facilitators, and discussed it amongst themselves, they came to the realization of a hidden assumption that was guiding the project. This moment really stuck with me because my group was able to reach this epiphany on their own by being receptive to the feedback. Feedback is a two-lane road: the one giving the feedback must give effective feedback, and the one receiving the feedback must be receptive to implement the feedback. Seeing the ah-ha moment from my team reinforced how powerful feedback can be if both parties are willing to contribute to the feedback loop.
I’ve grown to love both giving and receiving feedback through my short time at the BLI, and I hope to continue my comfort, familiarity, and acceptance with feedback. How will I do that? I hope that as one of the next lead peer facilitators, I’ll be able to continue learning the role of feedback and effective & efficient communication from another side of the round table. I’m excited to continue learning from the new peer facilitators, students, and mentors!
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Yena Kwon is a freshman studying Business and hoping to pursue a minor in Public Policy. She is interested in the intersectionality of business, sustainability, and social impact. She is excited to get to know the students and staff and engage more with the BLI and the opportunities they have to offer. When she isn't in the classroom, you can expect to find her crocheting or on the search for new books to read.