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The Overman Student Center was home to PSU students who are members of campus organizations on Sunday afternoon. Those in attendance were able to learn leadership and organizational skills.
Sign-in began at 12:30 p.m. and the summit lasted until 5 p.m. The event was held for student organizations’ office holders and was free of charge. The Student Leadership Summit was created by the Campus Activities Center.
“This event is geared towards Student organization members and in particular those who hold leadership positions within their organization,” said Mary Mercer, program coordinator of Campus Activities Center who served as the coordinator of the Student Leadership Summit. “It is to give them some skills and leadership training to try to be more effective in life in leading their organizations.”
PSU’s Campus Activities Center has hosted a Student Leadership Summit in the past, and this year’s event welcomed both returning attendants and those coming for the first time.
“We tweak some different elements in reaching out to faculty, staff, and students for presentations, and then and then it’s kind of like a three-step process,” Mercer said. “…with getting people to put in proposals for workshops, and then working with registration and student sign up, and then just putting together all of the logistics of the event itself.”
The Campus Activities Center began planning for this leadership event over the summer and aimed to get different campus organizations to communicate with each other.
“I was really excited that I get to participate in it,” said Lauren Davis, junior in family consumer science and future Club Entertainment Chair for the Gorilla Activities Board (GAB). “…just because I think it’ll be nice to meet with other organizations and learn the same skills and just kind of get tips and tricks on how to do everything.”
PSU has around one hundred and fifty student organizations on campus, including Gorilla Activities Board, Homecoming, Student Government Association, and Gorillas in Your Midst.
“One of the big priorities of this event is I’m getting to know one another, and networking,” Mercer said. “Students in organizations aren’t always mixing about and mingling together, and so we hope that this creates like a network of support amongst peers and maybe spark some collaborative efforts.”
This year’s Student Leadership Summit included a variety of workshops to attend and opportunities to learn how to network with peers.
“I think it’ll teach me some valuable skills for coming years and organizations like GAB and homecoming,” said Brayden Thornton, freshman in physics, the Gorilla Games Chair Head for the Homecoming Exec. “I thought it would just be more beneficial for me because I don’t really know how to do these kinds of things yet, but I want to learn, and I think this is a good way to learn and just become better and be a better leader.”
Students in attendance received a free ‘SWAG item’, a certificate, and refreshments for attending the leadership event.
“This is actually my first time here so I’m not quite sure what to expect yet,” said Nicole day, freshman in nursing, who is part of the Gorilla Activities Board and future Spotlight Chair. “I’m hoping to gain some new leadership skills that will really help me with my position next year and just kind of be more in control and fulfil my responsibilities next year.”