Mitchel Round thinks a lot these days about leadership.
Though it’s really a requirement for the eight-week capstone course he’s been taking to complete his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, he finds himself musing on the subject during his free time as well.
The Army veteran and University of Missouri–St. Louis senior has been typing out his thoughts for meeting some of the real-world challenges presented in the course, and he regularly posts them to the class discussion board.
The feedback he receives from classmates has been lacking, however, because he’s the only student enrolled in a course that is being offered for the first time this semester.
“If you click on the people tab on Canvas, it’s me and Dr. Bob,” said Round, referring to Assistant Teaching Professor Robert Cote. “It’s been fun, actually. The assignments haven’t changed.”
Along the way, Round has had the chance to share some ideas on how Cote might improve the course for future students in a program that launched earlier this year. Next month, he is set to become the first UMSL student to graduate with the degree, doing so with an emphasis in supply chain management.
“I was surprised when I found out as I started teaching the first class that I already had a student that was going to finish,” said Cote, who started this fall as the program’s coordinator. “It’s exciting.”