‘President for a Day’ Swap Gives Nursing Student a Taste of Leadership
The 2025 observance of the “President for a Day” tradition at Widener had senior nursing student Elizabeth Martin assuming the university top job in Old Main, while President Stacey Robertson followed Martin’s schedule for the day.
President for a Day is an annual tradition at Widener and an innovative example of the university’s commitment to experiential learning and leadership development. The process requires students to go through a competitive application and interview process before being selected as the university’s top leader for a day.
While Martin held high-level meetings with vice presidents about enrollment and student engagement collaborations, Robertson attended her nursing classes. While Martin met with local leaders about community relations between Widener and the city of Chester, Robertson worked her student ambassador shift in the undergraduate admissions office – and led a campus tour for prospective students. And Robertson also spent time in a nursing simulation lab caring for an ill patient, while Martin presided over a student social mixer with Robertson’s dogs Lucia and Siena, who are spotted frequently with her around campus.
“It is an honor to be selected for this position,” Martin said after learning she would be President for a Day. “President Robertson is a leader who is visible and accessible. I anticipate an ambitious day where I will get to meet with interesting people, contemplate creative ideas and solutions, and promote and celebrate the community of belonging we share at Widener. She is an inspiring role model for how I want to conduct myself!”
Robertson, too, was excited.
“I am delighted to swap places with Lizzy,” Robertson said. “Spending the day as a nursing student and student ambassador will provide tremendous insight into what it means to belong to the Widener community as a student. Lizzy is an incredibly active young woman who is dedicated to her studies and to our community. I hope the experience of walking in her footsteps will make me a better president.”
Martin will graduate in May with a bachelor of science in nursing and a minor in history. She will return home to the Lancaster region after commencement, where she has accepted a nursing position at Lancaster General Hospital. She has already completed multiple student nurse externships at the hospital during her years as a Widener student.
Browse highlights from the day
