Wei Wei Buchsteiner '18 on Management and Leadership

The Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) is a one-term program specifically created to assist student leaders like Wei Wei Buchsteiner '18. Wei Wei first heard about the program after one of his friends recommended him its Program Officer, Robin Frye, who then reached out to Wei Wei with an invitation to apply.

“I had never really done anything like MLDP before,” says Wei Wei, "but at the time I was looking for guidance on how to better manage a program I was involved with."

Wei Wei works with Thayer on a program to improve science literacy called “Jr. First Lego League”. The program uses Legos^™ to inspire elementary and middle school aged students to study STEM. He joined the project early in its development, and has taken on the role of growing and expanding the program.

The program struggled with consistent mentorship due to differences between the D-plan and the primary education schedule, but Wei Wei recognized that the mentorship aspect of the program was one of its most important features. He worked to make changes in order to improve mentor retention.

“Changing the schedule has definitely had a positive impact on the overall success of the program as a whole.”

Additionally, Wei Wei now deals with the task of defining the roles of the executive committee members to smooth the transition for next year’s leaders. “The ambiguity of the roles was a problem we had this year, and it’s something I don’t want to see again.”

Wei Wei said he was surprised how much he learned about himself through MLDP, despite this being one of his busiest terms. “MLDP taught me to be aware: focusing on the strengths I have and using other people’s strengths to make a better team. I realize now that I can’t do everything, nor that I need to.”

-Written by Joshua Perez '17, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for the Management and Leadership Development Program