Best Student Leader winner

Best Student Leader

Rayve’n Grimes

By Alicia McWilliams | Photo courtesy of Rayve’n Grimes

Being a college student is stressful. You have to juggle your social spheres, academic obligations and clubs. If you have a part time job, this balance becomes even harder to keep. Where is there time to sleep? To relax? What if you took on a few leadership roles in addition to these already straining tasks? It may seem impossible to find a balance between all of these things, but one student has shown that

it is more than achievable. Accounting junior Rayve’N Grimes, was voted Coog Choose 2021 Best Student Leader by students. She is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council as well as the president of UH’s NAACP and the chapter president of her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho.

“When I first got to UH, I was that kind of shy reserved person who didn’t really get involved very much, so to see me grow to now, here, I’m involved in different things and have that initiative,” Grimes said.

For some, the idea of holding a leadership position is anxiety inducing, not because of time constraints, but because of the “type” of person that people perceive should have those roles. Rayve’N is an example of how getting involved in leadership roles not only allows you personal development and growth, but also gives you skills for the future. “It really allows for me to build those experiences now so that in my career, I can move quickly to leadership positions in the future,” Grimes said. Managing all of these responsibilities, however, does come at a cost. “It definitely gets a little overwhelming at times,” Grimes said. “Especially, because I’m balancing my full-time job and my orgs.” Time management, in her situation, has become paramount. But her role in her organisations is just a snapshot of how she spends her time, especially with the quarantines that had taken place in the last year. In her spare time, she enjoys being in the kitchen. “I want to make a food TikTok when I find the time to get good with a camera,” Grimes said. “Cooking is one of those passions that just stuck for sure.” Grimes started out the same way that most students did in their first year of college, but what helped her thrive was the fact that she didn’t let the preconceived notions of what a leader was hold her back. “Don’t doubt yourself,” Grimes said. “You’re never gonna be ready for things you don’t think you’re ready for.” When people look at Rayve’N and everything that she is involved with, it’s worth noting that it’s not an easy feat to accomplish, but don’t get caught up in how hard it is. Focus on the fact that it is an achievable goal that can be worked toward.

“Not to be cliche and use the Nike slogan but that’s what I did,” Grimes said. “I kind of just went well, why not? Why not me?”