The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is the newest leadership organization to find its way onto  campus. 

Led by student Kayla Stinnett and advised by Jerome Gafford of the College of Business and Bethany Oliver of the Office of Student Engagement, NSLS utilizes online and global resources and local, monthly chapter meetings to help college students develop and strengthen their leadership skills. 

“We want to be a credible organization that students can be a part of without feeling like they have to change a certain aspect of themselves,” Stinnett said. “We encourage students not only to learn from the speaker content and material that we provide but from each other as well.”

The organization’s officers believe that a diverse group of members will be the key to developing quality leaders, Stinnett said.

“(The group’s) motto is to “build leaders who make a better world,” said Matt Jones, vice president of the organization. “We as an executive council of UNA’s chapter of the national society of leadership and success are very excited to bring this to campus. I feel as if the students will benefit greatly with what all this national society has to offer.”

Membership in NSLS is all-inclusive, and students only need to have a 2.0 to qualify for membership, Stinnett said. Membership benefits include job-interview tips, scholarships and award notifications and an online job bank. 

Members of NSLS are also exposed to success networking teams and previous online broadcasts contributed to by various leaders. Past online speakers include Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Lou Holtz, ESPN analyst and Bill Press, former co-host of CNN’s Crossfire. 

“You are able to get leadership input and mentoring from big name people in the business industry without the cost,” said Gafford. 

The group uses online resources, as well as interactions with other chapters through conferences and seminars members may attend. Other benefits membership in the organization brings include resume enhancement and the option to receive letters of recommendation for acceptance into graduate school, Gafford said.

In a recent survey conducted and posted on the NSLS website, 92 percent of the society’s members who were transitioning into careers landed the job of their choice upon graduating.

 “I always think it is awesome when new organizations come on campus, because it gives new opportunities to the students,” said junior Hailey Boeck, president of the Honors Student Organization. “It seems like it will nationalize our campus through networking.” 

For more information on the UNA chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, students can view the chapter’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thesocietyuna, or by emailing the chapter at [email protected].

Editors note: Kayla Stinnett works in the UNA Student Publication office as an advertisement saleswoman. News Editor Pace Holdbrooks contributed to the reporting of this story.