Leadership®Center

LEADERSHIP LEGACY
A CONVERSATION
with CECILIA MACIAS
CECILIA MACIAS CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INTERCULTURAL PRO-
GRAMS AT TAYLOR UNIVERSITY IN UPLAND, INDIANA. SHE COMPLETED HER MASTER’S DEGREE IN
STUDENT AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY AND HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN
COMMUNICATION AT ILLINOIS.
WHAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP POSITIONS DID YOU HAVE AS A COLLEGE STUDENT BE-
FORE?
I was a very over-involved student during my four years at U of I and held several leadership positions. Some of
them included my position as a Multicultural Advocate in residence life and my involvement with La Casa Cultural
Latina as a Student Program Coordinator. I was also the president of a Latino organization called LaFe and was
a Graf Intern at the Illinois Leadership Center (ILC) my senior year.
HOW DID THOSE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS BENEFIT YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT?
I am grateful for all the ways I was involved as a student because I made strong mentors and developed skills
I would not have been able to develop if it was not for the responsibilities I was entrusted with. I learned how to
maintain professional relationships with peers and supervisors and discovered what I wanted to do as a profession.
I also developed administrative skills and programming skills which helped me with future positions.
HOW DID THE ILLINOIS LEADERSHIP CENTER IMPACT YOU?
I absolutely loved the Leadership Center as a student and love it even more as a working professional. The work
that the ILC does is truly amazing! Through i-Programs and leadership courses I discovered concepts like self
awareness, emotional intelligence, and learned leadership theories and models that helped me reflect on who I
was and what I wanted to be. I was able to develop interpersonal skills, communication skills, and understand the
importance of integrity in any leadership position.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE THE MOST AS A LEADER?
I value teamwork, communication, integrity, and positive social change. We all have different strengths and can
use them to impact our community. It is important not to lose sight of the greater picture and that, in my heart, is
not forgetting about our neighbor.
DO YOU HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS IN TERMS OF LEADER-
SHIP?
My advice would be to make the most of your four years in college and get involved. I do not think anyone
should join tons of organizations because it is always better to commit to one or two, than to be in several and
do a bad job in all of them because you become "too busy”. Find what your values and passions are and give
back to the community by being involved in something. Oh and do not forget...anyone can be a leader!
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