By: Sara Leopaldi
Mount Wachusett Community College
2024-2025
Throughout the planning of this event, I encountered several unexpected challenges that disrupted my original plan most of which arose just a week before the event. Up to that point, the planning process had been fairly smooth, especially with the support of my mentor, the Dean of Students, through the Newman Civic Fellowship. We met biweekly to review progress and plan next steps. Catering was arranged through our campus café, RSVPs were coming in steadily, and we had strong anticipated attendance from both faculty and students. Then, just a week before the event, one of our scheduled speakers canceled at the last minute, leaving me scrambling to find a replacement. Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to secure another speaker in time. After discussing the situation with my mentor, we chose to reallocate some of the event funds to purchase additional books and bring in media to document the event through video. This pivot ultimately added value in a different, meaningful way.
During this time, I felt incredibly overwhelmed. I was balancing the demands of my final semester, family emergencies, and the pressure of planning the perfect event, all while ensuring everything was in place for the Newman Fellowship. At one point, I told myself I’d never take on something of this magnitude again. But now, with time to reflect, my perspective has shifted. I did the best I could with the mindset and circumstances I was navigating. I was focused on my family’s health, my graduation, and several other major responsibilities. Still, I can take accountability for areas where I could have been more organized or better prepared.
This experience helped me recognize both my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to planning large-scale events on my own. As humans, we can only handle so much at once, but it’s also our responsibility to find the most effective way to manage it all. I’m proud of the opportunity I helped create for student parents and the knowledge we shared with faculty. Most importantly, we did something we had never done before, we brought together two very different campus populations, fostering connection and engagement that moved us toward a more equitable and inclusive college community.