Angela Liu

3rd Year – Accounting & Business Analytics

President of the UC Rotaract Club

What is the UC Rotaract Club?

We are a UC student organization affiliated with the Rotary Club of Cincinnati and the overall Rotary International service organization. Our goal is to spread Rotary’s message of “Service above self” while helping UC students achieve professional and personal development. Through partnering with the Rotary Club of Cincinnati, we aim to provide students with opportunities for networking, leadership, and making a positive impact on the community.

Why I Joined & What I Do:

As a freshman, I attended a “Career Speed Dating” networking event hosted by the Rotary Club of Cincinnati. I was inspired hearing the Rotarians’ stories about how their involvement in Rotary not only helped them to build their professional networks, but also to find a sense of belonging and purpose while serving the local and global community. I also learned that Rotary was looking to revive the UC Rotaract Club after a few years of dormancy, and I decided to join in the effort to bring this club back to campus. I started off by serving as Secretary my freshman year, and eventually took over as President during my sophomore year upon the graduation of most of the other executive members.

As the President of UC Rotaract, my main duties include directing and overseeing all club meetings and projects, including our club community service projects and professional networking events, as well as acting as the key point of contact for the club and serving as a face of the club. Some key projects that I’ve worked with my exec team to initiate include an ACT exam preparation program at Hughes High School, a holiday cardmaking event for Grace Hospice patients, and a digital fundraising event to benefit Rotary International’s polio eradication fund.

What I learned from the UHP Student Leader Roundtable

One key takeaway is the importance of student organizations going above and beyond to engage students in the digital sphere. Since physical marketing with posters is no longer as effective due to a majority of students spending less/no time on campus, most organizations have shifted to marketing primarily through social media; however, this can lead to “scroll fatigue” as students are inundated with an influx of content. Through my discussions with other student leaders, I’ve learned that less frequent, but high-quality videos help a student org to not only capture students’ interest better, but also to better distinguish themselves. I’ve also learned that our event advertisements should really emphasize what members stand to gain by attending, whether these be the chance to earn service hours, build one’s professional network, or even just relationship building within the club membership.

Another key takeaway is how to ensure the succession of a strong leadership team once we move on from our current positions. I’ve learned that rather than simply putting out applications and conducting elections at the end of the semester, we should take more of an active role in this process throughout the semester. We should observe which general body members go above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to the club, especially given the additional obstacles students are facing this semester. After identifying these individuals, we should make sure to give them a healthy amount of encouragement, whether it’s reaching out to them specifically to give positive feedback on their performance, giving them a shoutout in front of the rest of the club, or publicizing their efforts on social media. These actions will help single out those with the most dedication and leadership potential, hopefully motivating them to step up and take charge when given the opportunity to do so.