Brandol Ogando Saladin, from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, is a sophomore majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. Brandol is currently the President of the Third World Alliance (soon to be the Intercultural Student Association), a Resident Assistant, an Ambassador for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and a member of the AID Class of 2025.
How did you get involved in campus life? What advice would you give to students who haven’t yet found their “people/place” on campus?
Brandol Ogando Saladin
I got involved on campus by first joining Third World Alliance my freshman year and by becoming an OMA Ambassador at the Office of Multicultural Affairs on campus. I wanted to be fully involved on campus and participate in multiple things that matched my interests as a student.
For our students who have not yet found their place/people on campus, my advice would be to join different clubs and push yourself to try new things and meet new people, but always remember to be yourself!!
How do you think you’ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change? When looking back on the progress I’ve made, I have seen major growth in myself. I have become more confident in myself and my decisions as a leader as well as being more open to options and feedback.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned when it comes to leadership? One of the biggest lessons I´ve learned in my leadership is that you should never stop striving to be a role model. You can learn a lot from others and become a better leader by keeping an open mind.
What would you say has been your best experience here at WSU? My best experience here at WSU has been through Third World Alliance. I love interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds while also celebrating and embracing my own culture with others.
What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become? My advice would be to not be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and do different things to elevate your leadership level without being afraid of making mistakes because those mistakes will make you a better leader in the future.
What are your current plans for the next few years? My plans for the future are to stay in Third World Alliance, which will soon be renamed to Intercultural Student Alliance, and expand the organization’s horizons and reach different students on our campus. I would also like to do an internship related to my major in the future. One day, I hope to go back to the Dominican Republic and visit my family down there! 🙂
