Eastern Connecticut State University student Taylor Herold ’17, a communication major from Manchester, won a Ken M. Bedini Student Leader Award this November at the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Northeast Conference in Hartford. She was one of five recipients among a pool of students from 131 schools in the region.

Named after Eastern’s vice president of student affairs, the awards were established to recognize outstanding contributions of the region’s undergraduate student leaders. Herold meets the award criteria with ease, being an honors student, manager of the Campus Activity Board (CAB), a Student Orientation Counselor (SOC), an e-board member of the Senior Class Committee and an active member of Eastern’s LEAP student leadership program.

“I tell everyone who asks about my involvement that if it were not for Eastern, I would not be doing what I’m doing,” said Herold, who has attended leadership workshops and professional development conferences with the Office of Student Activities. “I truly believe that I would not have been given the same opportunities to develop myself and grow as a leader anywhere else. I have the entire Eastern community, both staff and peers, to thank for helping me become the better person and leader I am today.”

In her nomination letter, Casey Kensey, assistant director of student activities, said, “Taylor has dedicated so much of her time giving back to the campus community and has demonstrated her ability to be an outstanding leader.” She added, “Taylor has the skills that would make her an excellent student affairs professional, and has recently announced that she will pursue this career path.”

During her four-year stint with CAB, Herold has been the weekend programs coordinator, concert coordinator and special events coordinator, concluding her tenure as manager. “In each of these roles,” said Kensey, “she was creative, paid special attention to detail and brought high standards to her work, aiding the board with planning and facilitating many excellent events.”

Speaking to her nomination, Herold said, “What really means the most to me is knowing that my peers and supervisors thought that I’d make an excellent candidate and went out of their way to write me nomination letters. It helped me realize the impact I was making at Eastern and has been a driving force in inspiring me to continue to push myself to grow as a student leader.”

The NACA is the higher education leader for providing knowledge, ideas and resources to promote student learning through engagement in campus life.