February 26

Aveena Rawal, a member of the Student Life Student Advisory Board, looked around during a board meeting and wondered what it would be like for a group of students to create an opportunity for leaders to expand their impact beyond that room.

Rawal had seen that many of the university’s numerous programs were organized by staff, but she wondered what it would be like to create an environment for peer-to-peer support. She wanted to know what all student leaders on campus were doing and to build a community of mutual support and engagement for them.

She began by connecting with like-minded leaders, including Nicolas Newman, vice president of Purdue Student Government; Rocco Bartolini, former president of the Steps to Leaps Ambassadors; and Brianna Arinze and Suzanne Elia, who had been heavily involved in the Roger C. Stewart Leadership and Professional Development Department (LEAD). Together, they imagined an opportunity for student leaders to build a network of community through leadership and impact. To bring their idea to fruition, they leveraged partnerships with LEAD, Student Activities and Organizations, Well-Being Programs, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life.

The result was the XChange Leadership Roundtable, a two-night event that brought together more than 150 student leaders for discussion, networking and collaboration. Two $500 grants were also awarded to support student impact in action. Hand in Hand and the Purdue chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association received a grant for their partnership idea, as did a partnership program between the Brazilian Student Association and University Residences Multicultural Connections.

XChange Purdue is a prime example of how students can take the framework of Steps to Leaps and put it into action for their peers. The goal of the organization’s leadership is to continue solidifying the program so that future student leaders who are making an impact can gain access to a larger network.