Bertie Gardner, assistant director of student activities and engagement, greets students at the beginning of the first Student Org Bootcamp. [Photo courtesy Gabriel Hernandez]

Texas Wesleyan University student leaders gathered Tuesday evening for the first session of the Student Org Bootcamp, “Let Taco’Bout Leadership,” a workshop designed to help organizations strengthen their leadership, event planning and fundraising skills. 

The program, led by Bertie Gardner, assistant director of student activities and engagement, aims to provide practical tools for students managing campus groups. Gardner said the series was created in response to feedback from last year’s student survey. 

“Some of the student orgs said they wanted more help with leadership, fundraising and planning events,” Gardner said. “Seeing that feedback, I thought it would be a good idea to offer a series of workshops at the beginning of the semester where everything builds off each other.” 

During the kickoff session, students participated in activities like the “Explorer Colors” personality test, which helped attendees reflect on their leadership styles. Gardner emphasized that understanding personal strengths and differences among team members is key to running effective organizations. 

“When we’re coming together in our student organizations, we have people who are from all different experiences and strengths,” Gardner said. “Being different doesn’t mean we can’t work together, but it’s important to notice those differences and work better as a team.” 

Several student leaders said the workshop gave them new perspectives. Alex Bennett, a senior theater major and president of the Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO), said the session offered practical insights.

“I feel like I got some good practical tips on how to better guide the group and what my own leadership style looks like,” Bennett said. 

Anthony Pollock, a sophomore marketing major, joined after hearing about the event from Gardner and said he walked away with new confidence. 

“I feel like I’ve grown a little bit more as a leader,” Pollock said. “Being here with other students helped me learn a little more about myself.” 

Carla Salazar, president of the Latinx Student Association (LSA), said she hopes the bootcamp continues in future semesters. 

“I’m incredibly grateful that Bertie took time out of his day to support our student org leaders and strengthen our leadership development,” Salazar said. “As a senior graduating this December, I’m proud of the progress my organization has made, and I hope that momentum continues. Activities like ‘Exploring Your Colors’ helped us better understand our work styles, leadership strengths and stress responses. I truly hope Bertie continues offering these bootcamps because they provide invaluable insight and encouragement for TXWES student organizations.” 

Bennett and Anthony both added that they would recommend the bootcamp to classmates. 

“Particularly people who are officers of a student org; I definitely recommend it,” Bennett said. 

Anthony added that the lessons go beyond campus. 

“From a marketing perspective, this would do wonders,” he said. “It grabs leaders to act together, kind of like how businesses are built.” 

The bootcamp series continues this week with “Plan It Like a Pro” on Wednesday, Sept. 10, which focuses on event planning, and a rescheduled fundraising session later this month. Gardner said the goal is to give student organizations the resources to sustain themselves and thrive on campus. 

“A lot of orgs will start and end within a year because of challenges in leadership and planning,” Gardner said. “Hopefully these sessions will help student orgs last longer on campus and increase their activity.” 

The week will wrap up with “Org Connect,” a roundtable designed to let student leaders discuss barriers they face and share solutions. 

Gardner said he hopes the series will spark stronger collaboration among organizations. 

“Overall, I hope the bootcamp drives orgs to be more engaged and more consistent,” he said. “With the right tools, they can really shape student life at Wesleyan.”