By Marissa Carney
Students from campuses across the state participate in ice-breaker activities before getting down to business.
Penn State has long been committed to not only preparing students academically for their careers, but to molding confident and upstanding leaders for the workforce and community.
One way the University has accomplished this is through the successful annual Student Leadership Conference. Penn State Altoona was the proud host of the 2015 conference, “Lead. Eat. Sleep. Repeat,” held in August on campus.
Founded in 1964, the conference brings Penn State student representatives together from across the Commonwealth. Participants attend workshops aimed at enhancing their decision making, group dynamics, conflict management, and networking skills, which they can then take back to their respective campuses and put into practice. Further, students gain an understanding of their own leadership values and philosophies.
Says Danielle Fry, director of Penn State Altoona Student Life and conference committee member, “Part of our mission is to build good citizens. It’s not just enough to be good at your job, you have to have people skills. To me, leadership never stands by itself, it’s connected to community and reaching other people. A lot of the conference focuses on where students fit into that bigger picture.”
The conference rotates through different campuses each year. Fry is pleased to host once again, seeing it as an opportunity to show off the campus along with faculty, staff, and community members, all volunteering their time to share with students their successes, mistakes, and experiences as business and community leaders.
“It’s a lot about who you know, not what you know that gets you to the next level, so the conference gives you the opportunity to learn how to network and make connections that last,” says Asher Carr, a senior from Penn State Altoona. This is Carr’s third year participating in the conference, an experience he clearly values. He says he’s learned a lot about himself through the program, especially how to build confidence. “I learned quickly that you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable because that’s when you really grow. I learned how to challenge myself.”
Each of the Commonwealth campuses were represented at the conference by up to twelve students who were selected by an application process. A program such as this gives them a chance to build on what they are doing academically. “Not everything to be learned can be learned from a book,” states Fry. “Some of it is just life experience, trying things, making mistakes, and learning to work with people. The conference really focuses on taking advantage of opportunities, putting yourself out there and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.”
Committee members enjoy watching the students grow, noting after just three days they begin to develop a sense of autonomy and become more forthright about asking questions or asserting their own opinions.
Amanda Butler is a senior who attends the DuBois campus. This was her first time at the conference. She is excited to share what she learned and watch her knowledge spread to others. “My peers and I will be able to take back what we’ve learned to our campus and share with others so they can then share with even more people, so it’s just going to domino and have an even greater effect.”
