TCNJ

29 29 "I'm a very determined person, I think, from being an athlete. I want to be someone who makes a difference, not just to help me, but to help everyone around me." Meet Nicole Tampone, a business major from Bethlehem Township, New Jersey, who most certainly did not enroll at TCNJ so she could loll about in the shadows. Since January, when Tampone attended a six-day, national LeaderShape Institute program that is run by the college to foster leadership abilities, she's been organizing a 5K race to raise money for research into dementia, a disease that now afflicts her grandfather. "The race would play into everything I'm passionate about," says Tampone, who runs the 400-meter hurdles for the Lions' track and field team. "Which is crazy, because I never thought I'd be doing something like that. I'm excited." "The race would play into everything I'm passionate about, which is crazy, because I never thought I'd be doing something like that." Tampone plans to launch the inaugural race this fall and is currently working hard on the preliminary planning. She hopes to involve student government and has already spoken with Patricia Kou, the first-year class president. She's also working on incentives for participation, including prizes for teams and individuals who finish fastest and raise the most money. "That's how I'm planning on making the event competitive and exciting," she says. Tampone credits Avani Rana, director of TCNJ's Office of Leadership, with guiding her through her first year of college. They met last summer when Rana directed Operation LEAD, a retreat for selected incoming freshmen. When Tampone took Rana's First Seminar Program, "Leaders Are Made, Not Born," they developed a real connection, which led Rana to suggest that Tampone give LeaderShape a try. "The hardest part about getting this race in action was not knowing where to start," Tampone says. "The most important thing is not being afraid to talk to people and to take advantage of the connections I've made so they can help lead me to the right people to talk to." Though the finish line might seem distant, Tampone is well on her way. NICOLE TAMPONE UP-AND-COMING PEOPLE MOBILIZER

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