If you want to become part of Southern Miss tradition, you might want to apply to become a Southern Style Leader here on campus.
Southern Style is a group of diverse student leaders selected to serve as the official ambassadors and orientation leaders for the University of Southern Mississippi. It is a 47-year-old tradition that has been in place since 1976.
They help serve and host events for the University and serve as orientation leaders for first-year students and transfer students. Southern Style supports transition efforts through Orientation and Transition Programs.
As the year almost ends for the old Southern Style Leaders, the Southern Style is offering new students a chance to become one of them. The application process opened on September 18 and will close at 5:00 p.m. on October 27.
If you are interested in becoming a Southern Style Leader, join today and become part of Southern Miss traditions, you can even enjoy the benefits that come with being a Leader. It includes opportunities, personal and professional relationships, character and self-development skills, time management skills, and of course a gold jacket that Southern Style students wear at times for events at USM.
Kayiana Jasper, a returning Southern Style leader, has been a member since January 2023. The Junior said this role is a one-year commitment that runs from January to January of next year.
“I love that I’ve been able to serve on the Southern Style team,” Jasper said. “From it, one can gain confidence and leadership skills. Interpersonal skills, time-management skills, and the opportunity to interact with campus in a way that most students aren’t given the opportunity to.”
To be a Southern Style Leader you first must go through the application process. From what Jasper experiences, she says that the application process and the interview process are extremely competitive.
Once applications are submitted, they are reviewed and those chosen will be sent in the application process. The interview process consists of three rounds. Round one is a group interview, round two is a written part, and round three is an individual interview.
“A student reaching the next round is a highly selective process as they move through the interview,” said Jasper.
Round one will be on Wednesday, November 1, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Round two will be on Friday, November 3; if the students are selected to advance. And for round three, the individual interviews will be on Monday, November 13 through Friday, November 17, if selected to advance.
“For me, it was a very nervous yet rewarding process as it allowed me to sharpen my interview and professional skills to display my best self,” said Jasper.
To learn more about Southern Style, contact the Southern Miss Office of Orientation and Transition Programs at 601-266-4950. And remember, the Southern Style application process is incredibly competitive.
