Southern Arkansas University has more than 100 student organizations and more than 3,200 students preparing to be future leaders. Any one of those students would be thrilled to earn the annual Student Leader of the Year Award. Christopher Lee Harris was recently surprised and humbled when he heard his name announced for the second time during his collegiate career as the winner of this most prestigious student honor.
Harris, a senior history major from Maud, Texas, has a history of success and leadership at SAU. Along with the two Student Leader awards, he has also had his name engraved on six other major student honors, such as the Donald A. Haefner Freshmen of the Year award and two Mulerider Excellence awards, as well as being named to SAU’s Who’s Who.
These accolades did not come to Harris easily. In fact, it is tiring just looking over his college transcript, which is chalked full of leadership and involvement. He has served as president of the Student Government Association since the fall of 2011, as well as holding leadership roles in the Student Activities Board, Honors College Association, Residence Hall Association, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Model United Nations, and as a resident assistant.
“I don’t take leadership positions for the recognition; I do it because I want to be able to make a difference. I want to leave everything I start better than the way I found it,” said Harris, while giving credit to this mentality from what he learned on his path to becoming an Eagle Scout. “Being able to represent the school in so many capacities has helped me grow immensely into who I am today.”
He has not only represented SAU on campus, but also at the nation’s capital for an internship in Washington, D.C. in the summer of the 2012 through the Fund for American Studies. He worked with the Student Conservation Association during the day, and took classes at Georgetown University at night. The passion he has shown at SAU must have shined through during his internship as well; he was asked to work with the Fund for American Studies again this summer.
Harris has great advice for students just starting their journey at SAU: “Get involved in as many organizations as you can. Find those people who are passionate like you and make a difference.”
He has certainly made a difference while at SAU, and he plans to continue his studies as a Mulerider into graduate school as he will be pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration before going on to law school.