Leadership Activities for Students at GCU

Leadership activities for students in college can teach important soft skills that are helpful to have on your resume. They can also build self-confidence, encourage teamwork and expand a professional network.

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Read time 5 minutes

GCE Editorial Team

Published on Sep 24, 2025

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.”

— Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States of America.1

At Grand Canyon University, students can achieve more than just a diploma to use in their job search after graduation. GCU provides opportunities not only to help students find their purpose and pursue a career but also to lead and serve. Developing future, passionate leaders who enrich the world with spirit, hope and achievement starts right here on the GCU campus.

Students have numerous opportunities to pursue a role in leadership beyond the classroom at GCU. From representing students as part of the student government to serving abroad for those in need, Lopes can make a difference. There are plenty of leadership activities for students at GCU to choose from, so carefully consider your own personal interests and which activities would best offer you a sense of personal fulfillment.

Why Leadership Experience Matters in College

It’s always helpful to be able to list leadership as a skill on your resume,² but participating in leadership activities for college students is important for many other reasons. Developing your leadership skills while a college student can allow you to grow in self-confidence. This is because leadership positions may require you to step outside your current comfort zone. You’ll learn to navigate various challenges and bring people together, and in doing so, you may experience personal growth.²

Other reasons why leadership activities are beneficial for college students include the following:²

Strengthen your problem-solving abilities while balancing school/club commitments and dealing with troubleshooting activity-related problems, such as member disagreements
Improve your communication skills while delivering presentations or coordinating team members
Enhance your time management skills while working toward a common goal with your group or club

Leadership activities provide opportunities to work as part of a team and to build the beginnings of a professional network. The students with whom you work in your extracurricular activities may go on to pursue careers in your own chosen field or in similar fields. The connections you’re forming now may lead to mutual support opportunities, employer referrals and more.

Furthermore, employers often prefer to hire recent grads who have demonstrated leadership/teamwork activities in college. That’s because having leadership experience on your resume indicates that you may have developed key soft skills, such as interpersonal skills, that are important in the workplace.³

What Makes an Effective Leader?

Effective leaders aren’t only the people who make the major decisions and communicate their vision for a project, team or organization. They are also the people who uplift and empower others, encouraging them to reach their full potential.

Some of the characteristics of an effective leader include:

Respect for others
Compassion
Communication skills
Integrity
Collaboration
Resilience
Gratitude
Learning agility

Student Leadership Opportunities at GCU

Explore the following leadership and teamwork activities to take an active role in the university community and work toward becoming a leader for today and tomorrow.

ASGCU

The Associated Students of Grand Canyon University represents and serves the student body in pursuit of academic success, personal excellence and spirituality. ASGCU strives to reach each student in a meaningful way, build a community and connect students to the campus through programs, events, service and outreach.

C.A.B.

The Canyon Activities Board, part of Student Engagement, plans university events and activities to help students get involved, make new friends and get to know the GCU campus community. Student events include a lip-sync contest, movie on the lawn, commuter lunches and more!

GCU Havocs

The GCU Havocs lead the university in school spirit and pride. The mission of the Havocs is to be the most spirited, energetic and “destructive” student section in the Mountain West Conference. Havocs support all GCU athletic teams and energize Lopes fans while creating an electrifying environment of positive sportsmanship and respect.

Service and Local Community Outreach

GCU students can make an impact beyond campus by serving the local community. These local service initiatives provide opportunities to work as part of a team, coordinate activities, develop and meet goals and work on other leadership-related skills.

One of GCU’s outreach partnerships is with Habitat for Humanity, offering the opportunity for students to build homes, repair houses and help revitalize surrounding neighborhoods.

International Mission Trips

Global Outreach (GO) offers you the opportunity to experience God’s heart for the nations. Global mission trips represent the chance to join a team and go to a variety of locations within the U.S. and overseas. You can also engage in global ministry throughout the school year by participating in global outreach study groups or serving our global neighbors here in Phoenix.

GCU Clubs

GCU encourages teamwork opportunities through student clubs and organizations, offering over 120 clubs on campus. Clubs are not just for connecting with peers but also for networking outside the classroom to grow in academic engagement.

Life Leader

Life Leaders serve as spiritual leaders on campus who cultivate Christ-centered community at GCU. This is accomplished through one-on-one mentoring relationships and student-led small-group Bible studies called Life Groups. Life Leaders are available for prayer, spiritual counseling, support and one-on-one mentoring.

Resident Assistant (RA)

Students can play an integral role in the student experience on campus as a resident assistant student leader. As part of Residence Life, RAs are assigned to a residence hall or apartment building of about 30 to 70 students.

RAs have the responsibility of building community in their area. RAs build relationships with residents, support residents, plan events and take care of everyday housing issues.

Honors College and Academic Leadership

The Honors College provides opportunities for high-achieving students to engage in experiential learning related to service and leadership. Honors students can participate in extracurricular activities and exclusive events. The Honors College personalizes the academic experience and challenges students to become servant leaders and change agents of tomorrow.

Honors students can enjoy a unique academic experience that prioritizes leadership development. Whether inside the classroom or beyond it, GCU honors students can work toward personal transformation with the support of their peers, instructors and other mentors.

Enjoy Opportunities to Develop Your Leadership Skills at GCU

Grand Canyon University offers plenty of clubs, organizations and other extracurricular leadership and teambuilding activities to engage with while you’re earning your degree. You’ll also have opportunities to build a solid foundation of leadership competencies through your chosen degree program.

Explore GCU’s many bachelor’s degree options that teach leadership skills, such as the Bachelor of Arts in Government with an Emphasis in Public Administration degree, Bachelor of Science in Applied Entrepreneurship program or the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with an Emphasis in Worship Leadership.

Embrace Leadership Opportunities at GCU

GCU offers a diverse variety of leadership and teambuilding activities beyond the classroom. Apply today!

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The Quotations Page. (n.d.). Quotation Details. Retrieved Aug. 20, 2025.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. (n.d.). Why Leadership Skills Are Essential for College Students. Retrieved Aug. 20, 2025.
Flaherty, C. (2023, Sept. 29). Following the Leaders: Understanding and Promoting Student Leadership. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved Aug. 20, 2025.
Center for Creative Leadership. (n.d.). 12 Essential Qualities of Effective Leadership. Retrieved Aug. 20, 2025.

Approved and verified accurate by the Assistant Vice President of GCU Marketing on Sept. 10, 2025.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.