Empowering Student Leaders on Campus

“To me, team development goes beyond just the Cafe—it's about turning this job into a meaningful career and focusing on character growth. I wanted to come in and really try and get to know everybody...building these personal connections creates a supportive environment where my team feels valued and understood. I learned a lot about the finances of an establishment, inventory, and COGS—things I'd never been exposed to before—and I feel like I’ve learned more through this experience than in a typical classroom. And while I'm still figuring out my next steps, I know I want to work with a dedicated team and pursue a career in operations management.”

"This program gives me a front-row seat to what it takes to lead in retail—from managing budgets and leading a team, to creating an outstanding customer experience. It’s hands-on, high-impact learning that I know will set me apart in any industry I pursue."

"One of the most meaningful parts of my journey as Student CEO has just been the way this experience helped me discover who I truly am, not just as a leader but as a student and a future professional. Before college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. That all changed when I stepped into the Student CEO role. I wasn’t just learning from a textbook, I was living it, solving real-time problems, and just working directly with the team every single day. Through all that, I discovered what I really loved, which was financial management, and that's why I made my decision to switch my major from marketing to accounting."

"From my Student CEO experience, I learned to lead by example. As the leader of my cafe, people followed what I would do, regardless of whether I was an expert, and I caught on to that very quickly. I made sure that any time I was on-shift, my head's down, I'm working hard, and I'm not asking anybody to do something I wouldn't do. I think the most important skill I developed this semester was active listening. Listening to my team members was huge, from their opinions, to how they approach certain things in the cafe. My ability to listen created that team bonding experience and allowed us to trust each other. This is a skill I'm going to keep with me for the rest of my life."

"As the inaugural Student CEO®, I learned persistence, communication, and emotional intelligence as I overcame obstacles that I didn't see coming, scheduled and trained team members, and communicated with guests. When having uncomfortable conversations with team members, I would consider my deliver and make sure that I presented feedback in the way I would want it to be presented to me. Finding the middle ground between being peers and being professional was hard to learn. I could never have learned that sitting in a classroom."

"At Saxbys, I was able to combine my academics and advocacy into one place. I am very passionate about community engagement and as Student CEO® I have been able to develop my community leadership even further. I am able to interact with guests and get to know them. I am able to run and manage a team who can rely on me as much as I rely on them. I have learned how to be a leader, and have developed skills like time management and team development. I now have a real understanding on how to own and operate a business."