The State University of New York at Brockport continued its tradition of nurturing leadership skills within the campus community through its Annual Leadership Conference held on Sunday, February 23. This year’s theme, ”Local Change, Global Vision,” encouraged participants to make a difference in their local community while embracing global perspectives.
Over 120 attendees from Brockport, the University of Rochester, and the University of Buffalo participated in the workshops. The conference began with morning yoga sessions, designed to
promote mindfulness and energize participants before the workshops. The event featured twelve diverse workshops, including A Community Approach to Social Change, The Impact of the Pandemic on Social Media and Marketing, Growth-Oriented Leadership, Discover Your Leadership Identity, Discover Your Leadership Identity, Conflict Styles, Leading with Love and more.
The highlight of the event was the keynote speaker, Dr. Cameron Beatty, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at Florida State University. Dr. Beatty shared valuable insights and expertise on how identities influence leadership and how these experiences can make us better leaders.
SUNY Brockport senior Imari Houston attended the leadership conference as one of the many students focusing on diversity and leadership for their futures.
“I enjoyed the keynote speaker the most. The information he provided really resonated with me,” said Houston. “My biggest takeaway was that personal experiences are crucial and can shape who you are as a leader.”
The conference also included an arts and crafts table, support tools for all learning abilities and gratitude postcards for students to fill out and mail to their favorite campus leaders. Participants received free T-shirts to commemorate their participation in this year’s conference.
Associate Direct for Leadership, Civic and Community Engagement Carly Fox was also in attendance, representing the office the helps plan the event for the students and community.
“It was truly exciting to see a room filled with students on a Sunday morning, all eager to develop their leadership skills and engage with each other to tackle complex issues,” said Fox. “I was particularly proud of the student leaders from our SULA staff and LDP Gold Cohort, who took on key roles as MCs, facilitators, and handled marketing and communications for the conference.”
The conference is an initiative by SUNY Brockport Student Union Leadership and Activities to empower the next generation of leaders, equipping them with the necessary leadership skills to make a positive impact both locally and globally.
