The second annual Aggies Leading the Way! Undergraduate Leadership Conference was held on February 27 and 28, 2015.
Conference Mission
The 2015 conference theme was Finding Your Path. Through a variety of interactive workshops, the aim was to help students:
- Identify and enhance their own unique leadership path
- Recognize how their leadership path intersects and complements the paths of others
- Understand how building a collective of leadership paths contribute to the greater good
Keynote Speakers
- The Keynote Speaker for the rally was Carolyn Thomas, Dean and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.
- The Keynote Speaker for the main conference was David Acosta, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion.
Main Conference Workshop Areas
Finding and Strengthening Your Leadership Path (Session 1)
Session 1 workshops focused on helping students identify and enhance their own unique leadership path. Whether students are just beginning to carve out their path or need help navigating it, workshops in this area equipped students with the skills and knowledge to succeed on their journey.
Workshops:
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Living the Life You Dream by Alberto Antonio Valdivia |
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Networking and Professional Etiquette by Marcel Kristel |
Slides |
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Servant Leadership and Forging Strategic Vision by Darren Nelson |
Slides |
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Moving Beyond Failure: How to learn and grow from mistakes by Jerry John Nutor |
Slides |
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Leading with Purpose and Establishing a Vision by Venita Sivamani |
Slides |
Merging and Embracing the Paths of Others (Session 2)
Session 2 workshops focused on helping students recognize how their leadership path intersects and complements the paths of others. Rather than speed past others or neglect to slow down and explore commonality, workshops in this area addressed the value of merging and embracing the paths of others.
Workshops:
| Learning to Manage Up by Scott Vignos & Allison Pedrazzi | Slides |
| Is This Debate or Dialogue? Understanding the role of communication in community building by Mariah K. Watson | Slides |
| Your Leadership Energy: Knowing the tone you put forth and how to adjust it by Brian Luu | Slides |
| Strengths-based Leadership: Leveraging group talent to achieve more by Ilesha Graham | Slides |
Fostering A Path Collective (Session 3)
Session 3 workshops focus on helping students understand how building a collective of leadership paths contribute to the greater good. Greater impact and change occurs in the power of numbers and by working with others of similar goals and missions, much can be accomplished. Workshops in this area will address navigating environmental factors to establish and foster a path collective.
Workshops:
| Collaboration as a Powerful Tool for Change: Balancing risk, commitment, and resources by Brittany Derieg | Slides |
| Embracing the Collective by Molly Bechtel and Lyndon Huling | Slides |
| Using Strategy to Boost Creative and Innovative Thinking by Carlos Custodio | |
| Leading Change Using Collective Wisdom and Empowerment by Hilary Bekmann | Slides |
| Say What? Powerful Communication for Connection + Community by Ilesha Graham | Slides |
Conference made possible through a partnership between Undergraduate Education and the Division of Student Affairs and funds generated by ATM Campus Agreements.
