Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program

[Dragomir]

Hey everyone, while the topic is something that's related to the Coast Guard, my question specifically pertains to USNA which is why I'm posting it in this section and not the USCGA one (also, I'm not applying to USCGA).

My college is starting to implement the Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program. I was thinking of joining it as it sounds pretty cool. From what I've read about it, it seems like something that could also help improve my USNA application. What are your thoughts on this? If anybody has gone through the program before, what was it like?

Wanted to open this thread to get some opinions on it as this program is pretty new to me. Thank you!

 

[Don't Give Up the Ship]

Any credible organization that has an object such as the USCG Aux. can be good to get involved in. Especially if you love the water, boating safety, law enforcement and the USCG. The organization you are involved in does NOT have to be military related. What's important is your participation, growth and what you can articulate that you learned from that organization. Sounds like a good opportunity.

 

[usna1985]

It's not the "joining" an organization or club that helps with a SA application, it's what you do while in it. I generally recommend people / candidates join clubs or organizations that appeal to them. That will make them more likely to stick it out and also take on leadership positions.

It sounds like the organization itself appeals to you. It could be a good way to see if you like marine-related activities. It could also be a way for you to take on leadership roles.

As an aside, it's rarely a great idea to join an organization merely to attempt to improve one's SA package. First, mere joining rarely works. Second, life's too short to do things that you don't enjoy. Third, if you're not really interested in an organization, your heart will never be in it and you're much less likely to be successful in what you do.

 

[Dragomir]

It's not the "joining" an organization or club that helps with a SA application, it's what you do while in it. I generally recommend people / candidates join clubs or organizations that appeal to them. That will make them more likely to stick it out and also take on leadership positions.

It sounds like the organization itself appeals to you. It could be a good way to see if you like marine-related activities. It could also be a way for you to take on leadership roles.

As an aside, it's rarely a great idea to join an organization merely to attempt to improve one's SA package. First, mere joining rarely works. Second, life's too short to do things that you don't enjoy. Third, if you're not really interested in an organization, your heart will never be in it and you're much less likely to be successful in what you do.

About the "it's what you do while in it" part and taking on leadership positions, there's something I've been wondering about for a while now. I'm a senator in my school's student government and within the senate, I participate in the civic engagement committee and rules committee. I was initially the committee chair at one point for both but stepped down—each for different reasons.

For civic engagement, I stepped down because one of the other members expressed to me how passionate she had become about civic engagement and asked me if she could be the chair. I understood her completely and knew from the meetings we'd held before that this was something she was more passionate about than me. So, I stepped down and let her take the position and we've been doing great.

For rules, I was elected the chair at first but come to find out from how the senate meetings got set up, I would have to split the meeting time between the two committees since I was part of both. Which more or less meant that I couldn't be fully present for either. One of the members recognized this and proposed to elect a new chair who wasn't splitting their time. I agreed and stepped down.

I have no remorse for stepping down from the two positions. I felt that the reasons were valid and each committee would effectively be better off for it. I didn't want to let my ego or the pursuit of having a leadership position get in the way of the committees working efficiently. I just want to know how this would reflect on my application and in nomination interviews where I could be asked "what leadership positions did you take as a senator?" "Are you a committee chair in either committee?"

 

[Capt MJ]

About the "it's what you do while in it" part and taking on leadership positions, there's something I've been wondering about for a while now. I'm a senator in my school's student government and within the senate, I participate in the civic engagement committee and rules committee. I was initially the committee chair at one point for both but stepped down—each for different reasons.

For civic engagement, I stepped down because one of the other members expressed to me how passionate she had become about civic engagement and asked me if she could be the chair. I understood her completely and knew from the meetings we'd held before that this was something she was more passionate about than me. So, I stepped down and let her take the position and we've been doing great.

For rules, I was elected the chair at first but come to find out from how the senate meetings got set up, I would have to split the meeting time between the two committees since I was part of both. Which more or less meant that I couldn't be fully present for either. One of the members recognized this and proposed to elect a new chair who wasn't splitting their time. I agreed and stepped down.

I have no remorse for stepping down from the two positions. I felt that the reasons were valid and each committee would effectively be better off for it. I didn't want to let my ego or the pursuit of having a leadership position get in the way of the committees working efficiently. I just want to know how this would reflect on my application and in nomination interviews where I could be asked "what leadership positions did you take as a senator?" "Are you a committee chair in either committee?"

It will be important for you to be able to describe what initiatives you created and executed to deliver improvements or positive results, what projects you took on and performed team leadership roles to successfully deliver the project, whether in the senate setting or outside it. Leadership is not just a title, it’s action that shows you are results-driven, leading change, leading people, demonstrating management acumen, building coalitions, engaging stakeholders, solving problems, doing critical thinking, holding yourself and others accountable, communicating goals-strategy-tactics, powering something from start to finish, delivering tangible results.

That can be done in a wide range of settings, from established activities with elected roles to you identifying an opportunity or a need and jumping in to lead it. One example is a charity drive, where you do the research, figure out what might be doable (Canned food? Used athletic shoes but still wearable? Warm coats in good repair? New unopened toys for the Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots collection?), do the advance legwork with external charity partners and your school, build a strategic plan, recruit a team to lead, coordinate the communications, logistics, execution and lead the entire effort. Or find a service project, perhaps the local veterans’ cemetery needs help with a clean-up. There is so much opportunity out there to help your community, especially the people and organizations you might not routinely think about.

This is the essence of servant leadership, and it doesn’t have to happen with a title. You use your talents and gifts to act to achieve a goal by leading.

Hint: Google “students leading charity drives.”

 

[usna1985]

I've related this story before but will again as it demonstrates exceptional leadership without having any leadership position.

For many years, our office has run a one-week drive to collect items for a women's shelter -- e.g., travel-size shampoo, pocket kleenex, toothpaste, with different items each day and of course, cash. There is a competition among the floors led by volunteer "floor captains." Our floor historically finished dead last. And I mean we were so far behind that it was actually sad. Not for lack of caring but people are really, really busy and don't have time to run out and buy travel shampoo!

One day, a legal assistant approached me and asked where she would apply to be the floor captain. Apply? I almost laughed. Our floor was always begging someone to do it. The job was hers. For anyone who doesn't know, a legal assistant is pretty low on the law firm totem pole.

In any event, she took over the project with a vengeance and passion. She encouraged the busy, traveling people on the floor to donate money, found stores that had bargains on the daily items, and organized shopping trips during mandatory lunch hours to buy them. She got local businesses to donate gift cards which were raffled off daily to reward those who donated. She went around to each person on the floor, encouraging financial contributions on the day when you got bonus "points" for cash. She got one of the lawyers to promise to throw a pizza party for the floor if we won. She did other stuff that I've long since forgotten since this was more than a decade ago.

To make a long story short, that year our floor won going away. And the effort brought together a very diverse group of lawyers, legal secretaries, staff, etc. in a common goal.

She was a leader. No job title. Just someone who saw an opportunity and ran with it. And not to get into college but because it was her passion.

Note that there are things you can do other than charity events. Think about senior living facilities, veterans' groups, animal welfare groups. Children's groups. It starts with something about which you're passionate and then look for projects or activities you can lead.

 

[Capt MJ]

I've related this story before but will again as it demonstrates exceptional leadership without having any leadership position.

For many years, our office has run a one-week drive to collect items for a women's shelter -- e.g., travel-size shampoo, pocket kleenex, toothpaste, with different items each day and of course, cash. There is a competition among the floors led by volunteer "floor captains." Our floor historically finished dead last. And I mean we were so far behind that it was actually sad. Not for lack of caring but people are really, really busy and don't have time to run out and buy travel shampoo!

One day, a legal assistant approached me and asked where she would apply to be the floor captain. Apply? I almost laughed. Our floor was always begging someone to do it. The job was hers. For anyone who doesn't know, a legal assistant is pretty low on the law firm totem pole.

In any event, she took over the project with a vengeance and passion. She encouraged the busy, traveling people on the floor to donate money, found stores that had bargains on the daily items, and organized shopping trips during mandatory lunch hours to buy them. She got local businesses to donate gift cards which were raffled off daily to reward those who donated. She went around to each person on the floor, encouraging financial contributions on the day when you got bonus "points" for cash. She got one of the lawyers to promise to throw a pizza party for the floor if we won. She did other stuff that I've long since forgotten since this was more than a decade ago.

To make a long story short, that year our floor won going away. And the effort brought together a very diverse group of lawyers, legal secretaries, staff, etc. in a common goal.

She was a leader. No job title. Just someone who saw an opportunity and ran with it. And not to get into college but because it was her passion.

Note that there are things you can do other than charity events. Think about senior living facilities, veterans' groups, animal welfare groups. Children's groups. It starts with something about which you're passionate and then look for projects or activities you can lead.

I love that story.

It immediately brought to mind the very junior sailor I saw in the immediate (and I mean immediate) aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon commandeer a number of the roofless electric carts used in the service corridors of the Pentagon to ferry equipment, supplies, packages, mail, etc., find some buddies, and start bringing injured or dazed people having trouble walking to the triage area. This was all happening before first responders got there, as the military folks’ damage control and emergency response training had already kicked in.

A few months later, the Navy Staff was asked to choose someone from that day to sit with Mrs. Bush and other special guests at the State of the Union address. We chose him, one of the most junior on the staff who was temporarily assigned (can’t recall why), barely a year into his Navy career, unanimously. Innate leadership instinct, saw a need, wanted to serve and stepped up.

 

[Dragomir]

It will be important for you to be able to describe what initiatives you created and executed to deliver improvements or positive results, what projects you took on and performed team leadership roles to successfully deliver the project, whether in the senate setting or outside it. Leadership is not just a title, it’s action that shows you are results-driven, leading change, leading people, demonstrating management acumen, building coalitions, engaging stakeholders, solving problems, doing critical thinking, holding yourself and others accountable, communicating goals-strategy-tactics, powering something from start to finish, delivering tangible results.

That can be done in a wide range of settings, from established activities with elected roles to you identifying an opportunity or a need and jumping in to lead it. One example is a charity drive, where you do the research, figure out what might be doable (Canned food? Used athletic shoes but still wearable? Warm coats in good repair? New unopened toys for the Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots collection?), do the advance legwork with external charity partners and your school, build a strategic plan, recruit a team to lead, coordinate the communications, logistics, execution and lead the entire effort. Or find a service project, perhaps the local veterans’ cemetery needs help with a clean-up. There is so much opportunity out there to help your community, especially the people and organizations you might not routinely think about.

This is the essence of servant leadership, and it doesn’t have to happen with a title. You use your talents and gifts to act to achieve a goal by leading.

Hint: Google “students leading charity drives.”

I've related this story before but will again as it demonstrates exceptional leadership without having any leadership position.

For many years, our office has run a one-week drive to collect items for a women's shelter -- e.g., travel-size shampoo, pocket kleenex, toothpaste, with different items each day and of course, cash. There is a competition among the floors led by volunteer "floor captains." Our floor historically finished dead last. And I mean we were so far behind that it was actually sad. Not for lack of caring but people are really, really busy and don't have time to run out and buy travel shampoo!

One day, a legal assistant approached me and asked where she would apply to be the floor captain. Apply? I almost laughed. Our floor was always begging someone to do it. The job was hers. For anyone who doesn't know, a legal assistant is pretty low on the law firm totem pole.

In any event, she took over the project with a vengeance and passion. She encouraged the busy, traveling people on the floor to donate money, found stores that had bargains on the daily items, and organized shopping trips during mandatory lunch hours to buy them. She got local businesses to donate gift cards which were raffled off daily to reward those who donated. She went around to each person on the floor, encouraging financial contributions on the day when you got bonus "points" for cash. She got one of the lawyers to promise to throw a pizza party for the floor if we won. She did other stuff that I've long since forgotten since this was more than a decade ago.

To make a long story short, that year our floor won going away. And the effort brought together a very diverse group of lawyers, legal secretaries, staff, etc. in a common goal.

She was a leader. No job title. Just someone who saw an opportunity and ran with it. And not to get into college but because it was her passion.

Note that there are things you can do other than charity events. Think about senior living facilities, veterans' groups, animal welfare groups. Children's groups. It starts with something about which you're passionate and then look for projects or activities you can lead.

Got it, thank you for the advice!