Student Engagement is set to host its annual Monmouth LEADS event on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Rebecca Stafford Student Center. Monmouth LEADS is an on-campus conference that focuses on building teamwork, personal leadership growth, and other professional development skills.
Nicole Lowden, Associate Director of Student Engagement for Transitions and Leadership Office of Student Engagement, said, “The purpose of Monmouth LEADS is to enable students to explore their personal leadership style, develop skills they can apply at Monmouth and beyond, while expanding their awareness of diversity and its role in the student experience. This is a great way for students to connect and engage with their peers and campus community and develop themselves as leaders.”
“Planning a conference event includes many elements,” continued Lowden. “Some of the planning includes securing a keynote speaker, recruiting speakers for the workshop sessions, and marketing the event to students.”
This year’s keynote speaker, according to an email sent by Lowden on Jan. 30, is Curtis Hill. Hill is a professional speaker who will be presenting his leadership session entitled, “Managing the Chaos of Leadership.” Besides the keynote speaker, the itinerary for the rest of the event includes a brief welcome speech, two additional professional workshops, and a free lunch.
Clubs and organizations that received funding from Monmouth’s Student Government Association (SGA) for this academic year must have representation, or at least one attendee, at this program.
“We want to give back to our student leaders and this is a way to do so! Having exposure to development opportunities is an important part of the student experience, and having it easily accessible on campus is a great way to gather student leaders from all different majors and give an opportunity to connect and engage with each other,” explained Lowden.
Some club representatives are excited to attend the upcoming event.
Gabrielle Sangataldo, Editor-in-Chief of “The Outlook,” said, “Honestly, I totally understand [why we must attend the event], especially since it’s something that would directly benefit the leaders of the clubs and anybody who is involved in a club. Having it not be just the president, but some form of representation, makes it convenient and more flexible to have this requirement be met, as well.”
However, some club officers are confused as to why attendance to the event is mandatory. “Personally, I’ve never been to Monmouth LEADS, but I’m not a fan of all clubs being required to have representation. This year I have to attend, but I don’t want to spend my Saturday at the conference when I went to the PRSSA national conference, which I feel is more beneficial for what I want to do,” said Jordyn Rosen, President of Monmouth’s chapter of the Public Relations Students Society of America (PRSSA).
All students, of every major and grade level, can attend the event. Registration is required to attend and can be completed through an online Google form linked on Monmouth LEADS 2024 webpage. The registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 16.
