The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is an honor society at Kean and other universities that focuses on helping students become leaders of today and prepare for their future. Luke Agojo, the current president of the society, brought the NSLS to Kean University and is looking forward to continuing to help students work toward their future goals.
Agojo did not begin his college career at Kean University. Before coming to Kean in the fall of 2018, he spent two years studying at Middlesex Community College. After graduating, he was looking for an internship and ended up getting tasked with bringing the NSLS to Kean University. Currently a senior at Kean University, Agojo wants everyone to know that the NSLS is focused on much more than making sure that students have high GPA's. It is focused on making leaders.
"Often times when students go to college they just think about 'oh I need to get a 4.0 GPA,' but at the NSLS, we understand that there's also an importance in building your professional networks and setting up to be a leader. This society is pretty much helping you build your social skills and how to be a leader," said Agojo.
As the president of the NSLS, Agojo does his part to set an example for being a a good leader. He takes it upon himself to personally answer every email that the NSLS receives and makes it a priority to keep spirits high within the society. The NSLS is a new organization here at Kean University and Agojo feels it is his responsibility to be inviting and let people know that the NSLS is an option when it comes to getting involved on campus.
Agojo, himself, has benefited from his time spent working with the the NSLS. Through his time working with the society, he has learned the importance of answering questions and making himself available. Agojo does his best to never leave a question open-ended and to search for an answer, even if he doesn't have one right away. He also provides his phone number and email with students so they can contact him whenever they need help.
While the NSLS has given Agojo the chance to be a leader in his own right, it has also provided him with the opportunity to connect with people he normally would not have been able to had he not been in the society.
"[I have gotten opportunities like] meeting some amazing advisers... [and] getting to meet so many different kinds of students, especially from different backgrounds and career fields...I have students where they're really shy and just getting them to get involved in something like this makes them more open, more confident in a sense. So, I really like seeing that and I see the smiles on their faces. Afterwards they're like, 'thank you so much, I was never really involved until this happened,'" said Agojo.
Agojo continued to explain why he felt things like the NSLS is important.
"I feel like honor societies are good, but just because a student doesn't have a good GPA doesn't mean they're academically not gifted. It just means that they're gifted in other areas. And that's where I feel like giving an opportunity like this to students that didn't have a chance to be in a honor society, builds up the morale and the confidence to move out and transition into the real world knowing that it's not just about the GPA," said Agojo.
The NSLS offers plenty of opportunity and programs to help students build up their foundations for their future careers and to learn that college is more than just worrying about one's GPA. Further, NSLS also offers unique scholarship and grant opportunities to members.This lesson is important to Agojo and he has advice for any college student, whether they are thinking of joining NSLS or not, on why it's a good idea to get involved.
"I feel like it's really beneficial to your own life and your academic and professional life to be more involved. [It is important] to meet other people and widen your perspective about the world, because college only happens once for some of us, so do as much stuff as you can...It's not just about the grade. Strive to be as involved as you can," said Agojo.
