My Story/college

My Story - Greg Schockelt

Greg Schockelt - Student Leader
STLF Oregon

Students Today Leaders Forever is one of the most unique and amazing organizations around. I first learned about STLF during the summer going into my senior year in 2007 at the Oregon Association of Student Council’s (OASC) Summer Leadership Camp. I was fortunate enough to have Greg Tehven be my Senior Councilor at the week long camp and my life has not been the same since then. When he first told us how just three years before at the University of Minnesota he, and three others came up with the idea of creating STLF I was inspired. The inspiration that he gave to us that week has been the reason that the University of Oregon is going to have their first Pay it Forward Tour this year.

It has been a work in progress since our first high school tour on January 2-6th, 2008. We only had about 25 students on that first bus, but I wanted more. I wanted to expand STLF to the college level and grow the high school tour locally, so I came out to the STLF Summer Retreat in Danbury, WI, last summer. All I really knew going into the retreat was that I had just spent $500 on a plane ticket and that this four day trip had better be worth the money. I walked away on the fourth day knowing that I had just experienced one of the best times of my life. I met so many special, motivating people during these four days and learned that STLF truly wanted us to succeed at the college level and I was not going to let them down.

We decided that because I was going to a small school of only about 1,500, I would focus on expanding the high school trip in the Portland area to start, and another STLF member Steven Rutledge would work on making strong relationships at the University of Oregon with the intent to have a trip during our sophomore year. Both of those goals were achieved, we had 37 students on the high school PIF trip last year, and were able to make strong connections at the UO.

I’m back again at the Summer Retreat this year with four passionate people from Oregon driven to get a chapter going at school. The three others will focus on growing that Oregon tour, while I will serve as a high school coordinator for the Northwest while staying in close contact with the college chapter. Without any poking or prodding by us, we have had six schools approach us already and inquire about the possibility of hosting their very own Tour this year. We’re currently set for three of them, and will grow out to more if the numbers come in!

This is a very exciting time here out west, and it all started because one of the most amazing people I have ever met came to a camp and simply told us a story. This truly is a unique organization in that it is run by students for students, there really is nothing like it. The staff of STLF are able to connect with students like not many other community service groups can because they’re just like us; they’re students that share a goal of changing the world around us for the better!

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