Photo Credits: SGA
The Student Government Association hosted its annual Leadership Conference on Saturday, Feb. 21. This conference includes sessions designed to educate students, while also giving them an outlet to ask questions, as well as a keynote, all centered around leadership development.
Dr. Julie Mikles-Schluterman, professor of sociology and criminal justice, utilized her session, “Leadership From the Inside Out,” to teach attendees about the function of your mentality in leadership. The session included an interactive activity with the key takeaway being that good leaders need to focus on their inside, just as much as their outside actions.
Dr. Jeff Aulgur, professor of organizational studies, taught students about the adaptive leadership style in his session titled “The Reluctant Emperor: When the Most Influential Person Refuses to Lead.” Here, Aulgur went into detail about what happens when the person who should take charge does not, using The Grateful Dead to further his example.
Kylia Stewart-Davenport from Norman Career Services informed participants about professional documents during her “Resume, Job Searching, and Interviews” session. Students were able to learn and inquire about resumes, cover letters, CVs, and all things professional.
During a lunch provided by Chartwells consisting of a baked potato bar, salad, and burgers, a representative from ATU’s Higher Education and Student Affairs gave a keynote. Assistant Professor and Tech 1001/1013 Program Director, Dr. Dana J. Tribble, called her speech “Lead Where You Are: Building Identity, Influence, and Impact.” This interactive keynote allowed aspiring student leaders to share their experiences while simultaneously getting advice and learning more about how to better their leadership abilities. The main idea was that leadership is not a position, rather an action and mindset.
Numerous executive board members of SGA expressed their gratitude and admiration toward newly appointed Secretary of Student Engagement, Timothy Hufford. Secretary of Public Relations, Courtney Mayberry, stated, “He [Hufford] did a fantastic job, especially considering how much time he had to plan it. He was proactive about reaching out to others, coordinating details, and making sure everything came together.”
Secretary of Finance and Administration, Fernando Flores, went as far as publicly complimenting Hufford at the end of the event, ensuring everyone was aware of the effort Hufford put into the conference.
“This conference means a lot to me,” Hufford said. “I attended the conference in my freshman year and took home lots of valuable information about leadership that I was able to put to use in my own organizations. My experience attending this conference in the past gave me some extra motivation in planning the event.
“I find leadership very important in the development of a student during their time at college. Planning this conference allowed me to share this value of leadership with other students, while hopefully giving them a boost in confidence in their own leadership abilities,” Hufford added.
Current and future leaders attend this conference to learn, interact, and grow alongside their peers and professionals.
Those wishing to learn more about SGA can visit www.atu.edu/sga or contact them at sga@atu.edu.
