Vaishali Jorge

Vaishali Jorge got an early taste of leadership at age 14 when she began coaching fellow players at her tennis academy. She was comfortable providing mentorship and direction to younger players.

Once she arrived at the University of North Georgia (UNG) as a student-athlete, Jorge realized it would require more of a balancing act to show leadership. Her teammates were her peers, and she needed to communicate in a different way than she had with younger kids.

"I needed to find a balance between being a vocal leader and leading by example," said Jorge, a native of London, England, graduated in December 2021 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. "You can't say something if you're not going to do it."

She said leaders can form relationships by being honest and relatable about their struggles.

"Some leaders think they can't show weakness. They don't open up," Jorge said. "The better leadership comes from being open and vulnerable."

She particularly remembers a UNG senior making an impassioned speech during the NCAA tournament. The player told her teammates it was her last year and she wanted everyone to loudly support each other and not let adversity slow down this passion.

"Everyone listened to her. Everyone was silent," Jorge said. "I want to be able to get people's attention the way she did."

Jorge, former Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) chief of staff for UNG and Women of UNG Female Student Leadership Award honoree for 2021, formed her own leadership niche. She supports UNG's Make-A-Wish donation collection efforts, which helps dreams come true for kids who have critical illnesses. After losing a friend to cancer in 2017, the endeavor is personal for her.

"These kids deserve to have wishes fulfilled for what they go through," Jorge said.

She appreciates the leadership lessons she has learned from UNG tennis head coach Kent Norsworthy and others at the university.

"Coach has really taught me the value of trusting the process, and I have used this both on and off the court," Jorge said. "The biggest thing is consistency, listening and having faith in yourself that your leadership will work."