Northwest Vista College’s 2021 Virtual Student Leadership Conference in March helped about 146 attendees connect with experts and gain advice on how to improve personal, career and leadership success. Eleven local, national, and international speakers were chosen by a student committee that organized the event along with staff and faculty.
NVC’s Director of Student Life Marie Morgan and Director of Community Collaborations, Dr. Lisa McGoldrick led the event committee. All speakers were selected by the student members of the committee after they researched speakers who they felt would connected with their pathways to personal, career and leadership success.
Students who attended the conference also had a chance to win scholarships. Eight students were awarded $100 each, seven students were given $300 each and another eight students won $400 each.
Many students gave feedback on their experience. Here are two comments from students:
“It encouraged me to get out of that “imposter syndrome” mindset. I have been put in leadership or leading roles multiple times and wondered why. I felt that I do not or had not shown leadership traits, yet I was asked or “voluntold” to those positions. I need to see those traits and qualities in myself that my leadership or supervisors see in me. I do hope to lead a team at some point in my career, so I want to be able to prove confidently that I am qualified and a beneficial person to be in that leadership role. Also, the traits she suggests leaders have such as compassion and understanding for their team. The golden rule is a very helpful and basic way of life to follow as a leader.”
“This session has helped me become a better leader and professional because it has taught me that fear is not something that should hold me back. Mr. Bellamy highlighted the importance of self-confidence, and really helped me realize that self-doubt is holding me back. He started off the presentation by asking us reflective personal questions about what we were afraid of and what was holding us back, and I was able to take a step back from my life and see that I am afraid of failure and judgment. He helped me put these fears into perspective and understand that life is full of things that can appear scary, but they should not hold me back.”
