Image Provided by Personal Development Club
By Lauryn Longacre Staff Writer
Improving and practicing soft skills is the main goal for members of the Personal Development Club, one of Susquehanna’s newest organizations.
The Personal Development Club, or PDC, was co-founded by sophomore PDC president Michael Underwood and sophomore PDC vice president Edward Lynch. The club was approved by the Student Government Association in the fall 2019 semester.
“We identified how crucial soft skills are and we wanted to develop our own soft skills,” said Underwood. “We really wanted to find a way to give back to the students of Susquehanna and create a long-lasting impression, both helping students long term and short term on campus.”
The club works on improving skills involving leadership, teamwork, communication, work ethic, adaptability, interpersonal skills and problem solving. According to PDC secretary Christian Calderaro, the club holds between 15 and 20 members on a weekly basis.
“It’s a friendly environment, people just want to get better at whatever they’re doing and there is no shame in it,” Calderaro said. “It’s a cool thing to be a part of.”
Past meetings saw members working on time management and organization skills, nutrition and healthier lifestyles, critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. The club has also held a guest-speaker event featuring SU alumnus Benjamin Ornstein who spoke about his start-up and the importance of networking. 35 to 45 students attended the event..
According to Underwood and Lynch, future meetings will include workshops focusing on resumes and cover letters, investments, confidence, clear communication and people management.
One problem the club is facing currently is the lack of student diversity in its membership. Both Underwood and Lynch fear that students who are interested in joining might perceive the club as being only for business majors.
“I wish we could change the perception,” said Underwood. “In all reality it is a very open club, we are actually trying to find ways to include other majors.”
To counteract their struggles, the club has been using different marketing techniques to raise awareness around campus and to appeal to other majors. According to Lynch and Underwood, the PDC has been planning on marketing to music majors by collaborating with other clubs on campus including the Harmonic Combustion (HarmCo).
Underwood, Lynch, and Calderaro explained that a main goal for the PDC is to expand the club to other campuses. Lynch said the club is already fit with three committees, one of which is an expansion committee headed by sophomore Larisa Calvo.
“What we’re looking for as a club is something we can build to last years after we graduate,” Calderaro said. “We want to keep expanding but maintain the quality of our meetings.”
The Personal Development Club is open to all students and hold meetings every Thursday at 8:35 p.m. in Fisher 318.
