Ava Gravina ’28 is a psychology and English major at William and Mary. She swims with Club Swim and writes for the school’s pop culture magazine, The DoG Street Journal. She is from outside Boston and enjoys spending time with friends, baking, reading psychological thrillers and watching rom-coms. You can contact her at acgravina@wm.edu.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own.
Everyone knows that students at the College of William and Mary are ambitious and driven. In fact, Forbes recently named the College among the “New Ivies,” a designation widely shared on students’ Instagram stories. This recognition reflects a broader awareness of the College’s reputation and the expectations that come with it. In a school full of students preparing to be competitive in the job market, what is less openly talked about is how deeply resume culture has shaped student involvement itself.
At the College, student organizations are spaces for community, leadership, passion and friendships. But increasingly, participation in clubs — especially leadership roles — has also become tied to how it will look on a resume. Executive positions, in particular, are not only about genuine interest or contribution to a community, but also about signaling ambition and achievement. While many students are genuinely passionate about their organizations and want to lead them well, it would be naive to pretend that career outcomes are not a concern for many college students.
However, it is also difficult to ignore how this resume incentive shapes student behavior, reinforcing the way students naturally think about how their experiences translate into internships and future jobs.
Leadership roles in student organizations at the College are often highly competitive. For many students, building a strong involvement begins as early as freshman year, as they take on roles across fraternity and sorority life, club sports, academic and cultural organizations, service groups, on-campus jobs, research labs and the performing arts, often balancing multiple commitments at once. The goal is not only to contribute meaningfully to a club but also to secure roles that will stand out to future employers.
At the same time, some organizations may favor students who are more extroverted, already well-connected or simply better at navigating networks. In other cases, leadership becomes influenced by friendships rather than qualifications alone. As a result, students who might be equally capable can be overlooked.
This creates a subtle tension within campus life. On one hand, students are encouraged to “get involved” and take initiative. On the other hand, meaningful leadership opportunities are limited, and they often carry expectations about how students should present themselves to be competitive.
The reality is that the job market is increasingly difficult for students entering it. Internships are competitive, entry-level roles require experience and students face pressure for their resumes to stand out. It is therefore not surprising that leadership positions in clubs become highly valued. Even when students are genuinely passionate about these organizations, the pressure to translate every experience into something “resume-worthy” can still shape how they choose to participate.
When involvement becomes closely tied to resume-building, participation can shift from being rooted in community and shared interest to being driven by performance and positioning. Clubs can begin to feel like spaces where students are constantly aware of how their involvement will be perceived externally.
This pressure is not created by any single group of students, but is the result of broader academic and professional expectations shaping campus life. Students are simply trying to navigate a competitive environment. It is not a novel idea that incentives influence behavior. But acknowledging the role of resume culture does not diminish the importance of student organizations at the College; it simply helps us understand the pressures that shape how students participate in them.
As we head into summer, it is worth considering what student life would look like if student organizations placed greater emphasis on belonging and on creating spaces where students can contribute and make a difference in what they enjoy, even as resume culture continues to shape how students approach involvement.
