Name: Mark Horn
Age: 18
Year of Grad: 2014
Program: Electromechanical Engineering (BELM)
Hometown: Harwich, MA

Mark Horn was selected as “Student Leader of the Semester” by the Office of Student Leadership Programs (SLP) for fall 2009. He is currently vice president of the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME) Student Chapter, and a student member of the following organizations: Wentworth Events Board, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

How did you decide to get involved at Wentworth?
Other student leaders were a huge factor in getting me involved on campus. I saw team leaders at orientation and how they impacted new students and I decided I wanted to do that in the future. They coached me to get involved in clubs and become familiar with SLP.

Describe how your particular position or involvement works, what it takes to be successful in that role, and how leadership comes into play.
As vice president of a club, I am responsible for all the behind the scenes logistics e.g. planning trips, organizing fundraisers, coordinating with SLP, etc. I run the weekly meetings, so I have to be prepared and have a general outline for the meeting. As far as planning trips and events, I am responsible for all the paperwork and communicating our clubs plans with our SLP advisor as well as figuring out all the timing and travel logistics for trips. To be successful you need to be motivated and responsible. A huge part of being successful has to do with delegation. 

Name an achievement of yours that you are proud of and why.
I was really proud of the SME’s trip to Factory Five Racing, a company specializing in manufacturing performance kit cars for racing enthusiasts. This was my first semester as an officer of a group and I was very nervous about getting things right and making it a great semester for the club. When I realized how much work was required to get more than 20 students on a tour and get it approved according to procedure, I was a bit overwhelmed. But I worked hard, and in the end not only SME, but the automotive club, got to drive down to Wareham to check out Factory Five. It was a great feeling to know that all my hard work had paid off and that my friends and I had the opportunity to go on a great trip and check out cars and manufacturing processes.

How has leadership and getting involved on campus had a positive impact on your life?
It has really improved my outlook and attitude toward school. It definitely benefits my social life because I’ve met a lot of great and like-minded people who I never would have if it wasn’t for my involvement. It also helps my grades because I don’t have the luxury to procrastinate anymore.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved on campus?
JOIN CLUBS! There are so many great clubs on campus and this is a great way to network with student leaders. Clubs allow you to get involved with minimal commitment, and from there you can explore SLP and what it takes to be a leader. They are also a lot of fun. And most of all don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone because when you do you’ll really surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.

* You can read more about Mark Horn in the e-newsletter, Vanguard, produced by the Office of Student Leadership Programs - http://myweb.wit.edu/slp/vanguard