May 19, 2008
 It would be safe to say that Sarada Jailal and Ryan Gillon are people persons.
In no way do Jailal or Gillon, who will both graduate from Temple on May 22, have a “failure to communicate” — to borrow a phrase from Cool Hand Luke. In fact the two students — who share the title of “Temple University Ambler Student Leader of the Year for 2007-2008” — have spent much of their school careers honing their skills to do just that.
“I wanted to come to Temple because I knew they had a good Communications program. The Ambler campus, in particular, also reminded me of home,” said Jailal, a graduate of Pocono Mountain West High School. “I grew up in a rural location — I’m not a city person — and I enjoyed the idea of starting out in a small, secure atmosphere where people actually knew your name. I’ve been able to meet so many people; they’ve become my substitute family.”
Not that Jailal has had a great deal of time to be homesick. During her senior year, the Journalism and Communications major was also editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Temple Column; a student worker in the Administration Building, Admissions, and the Student Activities office; and an Owl Ambassador, showing the next generation of students everything that Ambler has to offer.
During his final year, Gillon returned to his third Student Government Association slate as Vice President of Academic Affairs — he had previously been Vice President of Student Affairs during his sophomore year and SGA President as a junior. He was also Sports Editor of the Temple Column — for whom he’s written for five years — in addition to being a member of Program Board, an on-air personality for the WRFT student radio station, and a member of Brothers and Sisters United and the American Marketing Association. While at Ambler he also helped co-found C.A.R.T. (Commuters and Residents Together), an organization designed to offer programming of interest to all students on campus.
“For the longest time, I wanted to be a journalist, but I’ve developed a deep passion for higher education — I think the spark started all the way back during my own freshman orientation. The orientation leaders were so dynamic and so willing to help you make the transition from high school to college that I was able to just hit the ground running,” said Gillon, who will graduate with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. “The campus has afforded me so many leadership opportunities — so many people were willing to put their faith in me to succeed…or fail…and they let me learn from both. I think one of the greatest advantages of this campus is you are given the chance to try — to find your strengths and your interests in your own way.”
Jailal and Gillon have followed similar paths in their effort to get everything they can out of their Temple experience — they mirror each other in their passion for the campus and their desire to return to higher education after they graduate, helping provide new students the opportunities that they were given.
“It has been my experience that getting involved actually allowed me to do better in school. It improved my time management skills,” she said. “You also have the opportunity to meet people with the same passions and interests, which inspires me to want to do more — you’re given more of a reason to believe in what you are doing.”
Jailal, who also has quite the resumé of campus involvement — three years performing in the campus Multicultural Holiday Celebration, dancing in the campus International Festival, participating as a Freshman Orientation Leader for two years, helping to start the Indian-American Student Association, and interning the Marketing and Public Relations Department — also set her sights on a Journalism degree when initially coming to Temple.
“I love to write and, most of all, I love interviewing people. I love meeting so many new and diverse people and learning about what they do and how they do it — there’s really not that many fields that let you do that,” Jailal said. “You learn about people’s passions, which, I think, opens up your mind to new possibilities. It’s often inspiring.”
Jailal decided to expand her horizons with a dual major in Communications, “because I wanted to broaden my skills.”
“There are a lot of fields that are open to you with a strong communications background. In my time here — especially by participating in Freshman Orientation — I’ve found that I love being involved in campus activities and working with the students,” she said. “I really felt that I was able to make a difference — even if it was just answering a question — and that feels phenomenal. I always want to have that feeling. I know I’ll being using my journalism skills in my career, but my hope is that I find a career that also lets me work with students.”
Gillon — who sees graduate school in his near future — said the Ambler campus “provides a sense of closeness; you get to know everybody.”
“You know that the faculty, the administration, your fellow students, really care about you — I don’t know how many places offer that. The friendships I’ve made here, it’s been mindboggling — you’re really able to learn who you are, to come out of your shell, in a place where you feel safe to do so,” he said. “Once you get to know its history, its beauty, why wouldn’t you want to come here? My experiences at Ambler have been incredible, the best five years of my life!”
For Jailal, the near future includes a summer in Trinidad, then entering the working world and exploring graduate school as well.
“I’d like to possibly get involved in Educational Administration. I’d like to work in a high school or university setting where I can help students,” she said. “Ambler, being a part of a large university like Temple, has truly been the best of both worlds. You’re not overwhelmed by the size of the campus, but it certainly prepares you for large challenges.”
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