2025 Undergraduate Leadership Conference

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25
UC Davis Conference Center

This annual full-day event is free for all undergraduate students and open to students in all majors.  With workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, the event brings together students interested in leadership and who aim to make a difference in their academic and social communities.

Clarity: Design a life guided by perspective and purpose 

Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions of studying hard, earning your degree, and then magically landing your dream job? The grind can overwhelm us to the point where we lose sight of what we want and where we are headed. Attend the 2025 Aggies Leading the Way! conference to begin illuminating your way forward by learning design-thinking methods to gain new perspectives and envision a life full of purpose.  

By engaging actively with design-thinking methods, you’ll learn to 

• Identify where you currently are in your journey 
• Determine interests and skills you need now and, in the future
• Describe what matters to YOU 
• Brainstorm potential pathways and possibilities 
• Draft prototypes of multiple lives you could lead 
• Explore ways to move through fear and self-doubt 

Conference agenda

• 
  9:30–10 a.m.
  Check in and continental breakfast
   

• 10 – 11 a.m.
  Welcome and land acknowledgement

  Christie Navarro, Director – Center for Leadership Learning 

• Keynote address

  Michael L. Bradford – Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Dramatic Arts 

• All roads led here

  This opening session introduces the life design framework and invites you to reflect on stories you’ve been told about how life is supposed to work. By embracing designer mindsets like curiosity, framing, and experimentation you can challenge old narratives, uncover new possibilities, and create a life that aligns with your unique aspirations and values. 

  Facilitator: Christie Navarro, Director – Center for Leadership Learning 
   

• 11:10 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.
  Session one: Roots and reality

  Ground yourself in the essentials of life design by exploring balance and energy, redefining success, and examining how external influences shape your life narrative. This session will also help you identify your core competencies and priorities, empowering you to align your goals with what truly matters.

  Session facilitators and room locations listed below. 
   

• 12:40 – 1:10 p.m. 
  Lunch, Student interviews and photos (optional)

  Roaving Reporters: Abraham Gomez, Graphic Design Intern, Natalie Kim and Franchesca Christe, Program Assistants – Center for Leadership Learning 
   

• 1:15 – 3:00 p.m.
  Session two: Designing your way forward

  Dive into life design concepts like aligning your college and work views, mapping your interests,  prototyping alternative futures, and practicing radical collaboration. Through 
  hands-on activities and insightful discussions, you’ll learn to navigate uncertainty, build creative confidence, and design a future that resonates with your values and passions. 

  Session facilitators and room locations listed below.
   

• 3:00 – 3:15 p.m.
  Snack break
   

• 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
  Closing session and raffle prizes

  Illuminating your future

  As we conclude the conference, this session invites you to embrace life design as a powerful tool for navigating what lies ahead. Together we will explore how life design principles can help you navigate fear, reframe failure, and overcome imposter syndrome while testing and experimenting with new possibilities. Join us for an empowering conversation that will inspire confidence and creativity as you design the next chapter of your life. 
  
  Facilitators: Christie Navarro, Director, Itzel Mendez Serrano, and Maria Galarza Gonzalez, Program Assistants – Center for Leadership Learning 
   

• Raffle prizes – Must be present to win

  Emcee: Co Hawes, Student Leadership Coordinator – College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
  Assistant:  Suhani Shokeen, Program Assistant – Center for Leadership Learning 
   

4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Student interviews and photos (optional)

Roaving Reporters:  Natalie Kim and Franchesca Christe, Program Assistants –  Center for Leadership Learning 

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  Meet Your 2025 Session Facilitators

  Conference attendees will be in groups of 25-30 based on class levels. First- and second-year students will explore how to design a fulfilling college experience. Third- and fourth-year students will explore how to design pathways for life after graduation. 

  • First–  and second–years

    Conference Room B

    Facilitator:  Kate Andrup Stephensen, Director – University Honors Program 

  • Ballroom A

    Facilitators:  Angela Taylor, Director of Experiential Learning and Site-Based Programs
                        Dr. Brianna Holden, Director – Quarter at Aggie Square
     

    Third– and fourth–years

    Ballroom B

    Facilitator:  Co Hawes, Student Leadership Coordinator – College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

    Ballroom C

    Facilitator:  Paul David Terry, Program Manager – Quarter at Aggie Square

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