Dear K-State,
We have a lot to celebrate! The K-State Strengths initiative is in its 11th year at Kansas State University, providing free strengths assessments to all undergraduate and graduate students. The K-State Strengths initiative is based on CliftonStrengths and is aimed at increasing student engagement and well-being.
This academic year, more than 600 students have received one-on-one personalized coaching around their top five strengths, and more than 2,500 students have taken the Strengths assessment. These numbers are significant, but we do not measure success by the number of students who have identified their top five strengths. We measure success by what students are achieving when they name, claim, and aim their top five strengths.
Kaitlyn Bruce, first-year student in biology from Castle Rock, Colorado, is currently utilizing her strengths to positively make an impact on K-State through connection and appreciation.
When Kaitlyn came to K-State, she had felt like she lost her identity after a high school sports injury, which caused her to not only find out who she was outside of her sport, but where she fit in at K-State. Starting over and finding her place was intense. While she was growing her passion for leadership and science, and building strong connections with other students and mentors, she utilized her strengths of WOO (winning others over), Communication, Positivity, Empathy, and Developer. Applying her Top 5 helped her understand herself and her choices more, leading to connecting with others in and out of classes to build strong relationships.
Katie Buhler, K-State Strengths graduate assistant and co-instructor for LEAD 212: Introduction to Leadership Concepts, had this to share about Kaitlyn:
“On many occasions, Kaitlyn utilized her strengths of Positivity and Developer to encourage peers to share their stories and opinions in class. A little nudge can go a long way. I appreciate how Kaitlyn has leveraged her strengths to affirm her classmates. When Kaitlyn is present people feel both seen and heard.”
Know someone doing great Strengths-based work? Spotlight their Strengths story.
K-State students are leveraging their strengths every day in unique ways to enhance the K-State community. If you would like to recognize a student for their outstanding contributions to the K-State community while affirming their strengths in action, fill out the nomination form at this link.
Students will be recognized by the K-State Strengths team, and their story will be shared in K-State Today. This is a rolling nomination process, and students will be spotlighted multiple times throughout the academic year for the wonderful things they do to increase student engagement and well-being in their academic and personal pursuits. The Spotlight on Strengths project is made possible through a partnership with Blue Key Senior Honorary, connecting Blue Key’s commitment to personal development through strengths-based learning.
All the best,
Mike Finnegan, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, director of K-State Strengths
Woo ∙ Communication ∙ Positivity ∙ Maximizer ∙ Adaptability
If you would like more resources regarding Strengths-based learning, check out the K-State Strengths website at this link for these and more:
- Your access code to take the CliftonStrengths for Students Assessment
- Schedule a Strengths Peer Coaching Session
- Request a Strengths Workshop for your student organization or class
The K-State Strengths initiative is a university wide program housed in the Staley School of Leadership. The Staley School includes undergraduate and graduate leadership studies academic programs, leadership and service co-curricular programs, the University Honors Program, Applied Learning, and Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research. The Staley School develops bold, curious, and connected learners to address our world’s most complex challenges. To learn more, visit our website at www.k-state.edu/leadership.
