Student Workshops

Block #1: General Leadership

Make Training Fun Again: Improving Your Facilitation Skills
Presenter: Collegiate Empowerment

You’re at a great conference, right? You want to go back to campus and teach what you learned, right? You don’t want your presentation to be the worst, right?

Fill in the blank: most training and lectures ______. Maybe you said, “are irrelevant,” “are not compelling,” or maybe you said something else. Why? Because the way all today’s students learn and engage with the world is completely different since the iPhone was released back in 2007. Now, people can find content online about anything at anytime from anywhere. Student development should bring the content to life and people should feel more excited about the material when they walk out of the session. Sadly, this is not the case for a lot of sessions. Students no longer learn through straight lectures and podium speakers. This session gives you the insight to help design high-energy, interactive, engaging, and fun educational experiences that create immediate and lasting impact.

Learning outcomes:
In this enlightening session, participants will…

  • Reverse-engineer the ultimate training experiences to create a great learning session.
  • Engage learners with our unique and highly-practiced Learn-Say-Do-Reflect Model to increase engagement, retention, and fun.
  • Be an active part of the art and science to make training fun again.

Leading Without Positionality
Presenter: Raven Solomon

In reality student leaders lead with no true authority or position. While you may have a title, you are still students, just like the peers you’ve been tasked with leading. It is possible to still be an effective leader without any hierarchy or authority? Absolutely it is and this workshop will show you how! Whether you’re the President the SGA or simply a member of student-led organization, you can be a leader. In this workshop, we will take a look at what it means to be a manager vs. a leader and how you can build characteristics of both now as a student. We will also introduce an important concept known as “managing up” that is an essential skill for leaders at all levels.

Learning outcomes:

  • How to be a leader, particularly as a student, when you have no authority or position
  • The difference between management and leadership
  • Characteristics of a good manager but bad leader (and vice versa)

IMPACT—6 Ways to Exhibit Leadership
Presenter: Odell Bizzell, Jr.

Student leaders want to leave a legacy; you see yourselves as being able to positively improve the trajectory of their campus and community. But many get lost in the grind of what it means to be a truly transformational leader. This is where Odell can help. Do you want to be energized about leadership? Do you want to combat apathy and produce positive energy in the student body? Odell has worked with campus leaders across the nation to produce meaningful, long-lasting change. In this signature program he breaks down the word IMPACT into six specific strategies leaders can use now and into the future.

Learning outcomes:

  • Examine the connection between inspiration and overcoming apathy
  • Develop strategies to maintain motivation even when things seem boring or mundane
  • Explore specific types of courage leaders need to have
  • Be able to deploy three specific actions to make a positive impact on campus

24 Karat Goals
Presenter: Antonio Talamo

“Pop, Pop it’s Showtime!” and just about that time to turn goals to a reality. In this Bruno Mars-themed presentation you will learn ways to effectively set and execute goals and “finesse” your way to success.

Learning outcomes:

  • Learn how to effectively set purposeful goals
  • Learn research-based techniques to help avoid goal burnout
  • Set and revisit your own personal goals

The Building of Leadership
Presenter: Alvert Hernandez

Want a better understanding of your leadership style? This workshop examines four different leadership archetypes grounded in leadership theory, using leaders in pop culture as examples. This workshop will put your leadership skills to the test through an interactive activity.

Learning outcomes:

  • Learn about servant and situational leadership theories
  • Understand how these theories come into play
  • Learn how to think on their feet and critically
  • Learn how to work in a diverse group setting with unfamiliar members

Block #2: Networking

That Networking Session That Doesn’t Feel Like Networking
Presenter: Collegiate Empowerment

For some people, networking is natural and easy. For others, it’s like living in the 1600’s in a log cabin without access to YouTube or ice cream. (It’s bad.) Like it or not, networking is critical to your future success…and a productive time at this conference!

Networking is the linking of computers to allow them to operate interactively. It’s also the process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. It’s about talking to strangers, asking compelling questions, listening with your heart, building relationships, making friends, and ultimately selling. Yep, networking is about selling. You’re either selling them on why they should connect with you or they sell you on why not.

If you don’t network, someone else recruits the best students to their organization. If you don’t network, someone else gets your job. If you don’t network, someone else gets your significant other. If you don’t network, someone else gets the opportunity you didn’t even know existed yet. So, you NEED to network, and this session gives you the high-energy, interactive, and fun way to do it!

Learning outcomes:
In this engaging experience, participants will…

  • Experiment with several strategies for networking in a way that works best for them
  • Avoid awkward conversations by building great rapport, trust, and credibility
  • Form real relationships that go beyond simply learning (and then forgetting) someone’s name and major
  • Start working on your “elevator pitch” in order to sell the best version of yourself

The Trust Formula- 5 Ways Leaders Can Build Trust Quickly
Presenter: Odell Bizzell Jr.

In order to have the best version of your organization there must be trust built among everyone involved. But how do you build trust within your organization quickly without seeming fake or inauthentic? This presentation covers what is called: The Trust Formula, which is five simple ways that people can build trust quickly with total and complete strangers. This simple system will help build trust faster within your organization which will help engage everyone involved no matter what.

Learning outcomes:

  • Why ALL people have ‘trust issues’ and how to use this to your advantage in building trust.
  • Five specific ways leaders can build trust with people they lead
  • The best communication tool for building trust
  • How to speed up the trust cycle efficiently and build relationships that last

Imma Show You How to Network
Presenter: Raven Solomon

This workshop flips the traditional, quantity-focused concept of networking on its back and walks participants through a more quality-focused approach to networking that focuses on giving just as much as it does receiving. We begin by using a quick icebreaker and a few powerful statistics to demonstrate the value of relationships in the professional world. We then explain the types of professional relationships and discuss the four most common way people meet new people— 3rd party intros, networking, branding, and online. After that, we delve deep into networking, covering everything from proper introduction and presentation to authentic engagement and conversation starters. Participants learn how to properly construct and use an elevator pitch, spending time structuring and practicing their own. We end with five tactical ways to cultivate and add value to professional relationships, including sharing content, supporting relevant causes, and follow-up.

Learning outcomes:

  • Properly structure and compose a compelling elevator pitch
  • Briefly articulate who you are and what you do in 30 seconds or less (via a personal elevator pitch)
  • Understand the value of purposeful professional relationships
  • Know how to authentically network with demonstrated confidence and poise

Working your Network
Presenter: Alvert Hernandez

In 2019, networking happens just as much in person as it does online and through social media. This interactive workshop discusses a variety of different networking strategies with an emphasis on effectively leveraging personal connections to boost your network!

Learning outcomes:

  • Obtain a handout of tangible effective networking strategies
  • Learn about the impact social media has on your social network
  • Learn how to leverage your networks

Are you the plug?
Presenter: Lenny Williams

As a leader, your communication skills can help you succeed or hold you back. In any space or function, you must be able to convey your ideas in ways that drive effective decision making and encourage collaborative efforts and action. In this workshop, students will learn communication hacks that will help build a powerful network and team.

Overall, you will become a more persuasive communicator in a range of settings.

Learning objectives:

  • Learn the principles of communication that drive all individuals and organizations
  • Learn the tools needed to structure messages that inspire your audience to take action
  • Grow confidence in your presentation abilities while effectively communicating your value
  • Convey your insights and recommendations more effectively

Block #3 and 4: The Path to Professionalism

The Power of Relationships and How to Grow Them
Presenters: Winston Peters and Jey Van Sharp, My Uber Life/ Wulf University

In school your main focus is on academics and passing classes and less on being intentional in building diverse networks. In the real world your focus will change. In the real world your network is your net worth. You will find that who you know often times trumps what you know. Today we give you a PhD on how to develop and grow relationships and why it is important.

  • What is a relationship?
  • The difference from a relationship and a contact.
  • What prevents us from developing relationships: Prejudice? Half-truths? Traditions? Fear?
  • How do we hack these roadblocks?
  • Finding a commonalty?
  • It’s about them?
  • Follow up & Follow through
  • Mixing good times before work times
  • Deal flow
  • Patience
  • Dealing with disappointment
  • 80/20 rule

Learning outcomes:

  • Accounting for your conscious and unconscious bias in new environments and assessing value in different forms of currency
  • Leaning past your comfort zone to establish new relationships and networks
  • Tools to build impactful relationships

Started from the bottom and now…”
Presenter: Kevin Garlan

This session is an open dialogue for students about managing your career and development path forward coming from a small college or university. We’ll have an open discussion and Q+A on what special considerations and motivations students need to be prepared for in order to achieve success and access opportunities in industry.

Learning outcomes

  • How to manage career prep into enterprise opportunities across sectors
  • How to properly navigate from college to industry
  • Answers to questions about professional best practices made to help you succeed

Lifting as You Climb
Presenter: Ebony Dilworth, Microsoft

A discussion on the power and importance of helping those behind you as you climb your way up the corporate ladder. This session will allow attendees an opportunity to understand why your roles as leaders do not end after college. It will teach you ways to continue to hone your leadership skills, even as you navigate your own careers. We will also discuss ways to expose the generations behind us to non-traditional career paths.

Learning outcomes:

  • How to move forward once you’ve found yourself in a professional space
  • Identifying leadership roles beyond college
  • Expanding knowledge of how to succeed in nontraditional career paths

Spoken and Unspoken Rules of the Workplace
Presenter: Marisa K. Cabrera

It’s time to get prepared for the professional world. Through this workshop participants will gain the skills needed to succeed within a workplace. Learn about professionalism and the nuances of highly impactful businesses. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Make sure you are being effective and not ineffective in your ways.

Learning outcomes:

  • Gain tips on how to enhance your professionalism within traditional and nontraditional workspaces
  • Learn about what traits successful businesses are seeking
  • Identify potential mistakes you’re making that are holding you back from landing that job

Personal Branding and the Power of Storytelling
Presenter: Brad Aikins

Open the door to limitless opportunity by learning how to effectively promote yourself. Personal branding and the Art of Storytelling will help you differentiate yourself from the competition. Students often struggle to effectively self-promote in the workplace, in business, and online. If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will, and the outcome might not be in your favor.

Learning outcomes:

  • Defining your personal objectives and goals
  • Creating a game plan
  • Determining your unique strengths (and weaknesses
  • Telling your story effectively (in person and online

Block #5: Life Skills and Personal Development

Negotiation Tactics and Preparation
Presenter: Marisa Cabrera

The proper negotiation tactics can determine your next title promotion or salary increase. These are the skills needed to assure your value at your institution is properly recognized. Did you know that 90% of negotiation is done alone, with no one else at the table? This workshop will provide you with necessary tactics for some self-discovery and to make sure that you are always prepared at any negotiating table.

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify how to find your voice and advocate for yourself
  • Learn how to identify self-worth
  • Learn tactics to gain confidence and how to brand yourself

The Money Code: Money Lessons They Don’t Tell You About in College
Presenter: Tonya Rapley

Financial hardships are the #1 reason students drop out of school. A student’s financial circumstances affects their campus involvement, academic performance, and overall health and wellness. This workshop will not only teach you how to make smarter money management decisions, but also empower you with strategies to achieve financial and collegiate success. It’s more than numbers; it’s about empowering through fun, relevant, and compassionate financial education.

Learning outcomes:

  • Keys to building credit
  • Keys to building savings
  • The importance (and ease) of investing
  • What you need to know about repaying student loans

Selfish: The Purpose Movement
Presenter: Chinez

While colleges and universities may be one of the safest spaces for students to explore independent life, the real world brings new and complex challenges and experiences that are difficult to replicate in a four-year college career. Selfish: The Purpose Movement encourages participants to take stock in their most valuable entity, the self. In this discussion-based experience, participants will look back on their past and assess present goals. Participants will also have the opportunity to devise a purpose-driven plan for their future in order to get closer to becoming the author of their lives (Baxter-Magolda, 2001).

Learning outcomes:

Participants will leave this program with marketable transferable leadership skills for every professional industry and with the confidence in their ability to:

  • Understand the importance of self-reflection in the process of self-discovery
  • Identify at least two life goals one can incorporate into their college experience
  • Discuss how to utilize the current cultural and social climate to mobilize their purpose

The Art of the Side Hustle: Turning Your Passion into Profit
Presenter: Ash Cash

Everyone has dreams but not everyone knows how to turn those dreams into reality. The Art of the Side Hustle is a workshop that teaches its participants how to live their dream while making a profit. Manage your career while also gaining the tools to turn passion into profit.

Learning outcomes:

  • Articulate the values and principles involved in financial decision-making
  • Employ self-reflection to gain insight on personal goals
  • Learn how to demonstrate an ability to engage in critical thinking by analyzing situations and constructing and selecting viable solutions to solve problems

Living Your Dreams & Killing Your Nightmares
Presenter: Tiana Marie Ford

Unsure of what your next steps will be? Are you fearful of pursuing your dreams? Using select lyrics from Meek Mill’s song Dreams and Nightmares, receive the tools to begin walking in your purpose and passion while letting go of your biggest fears.

Learning outcomes:

  • Receive tools to begin the journey of walking in your purpose and passion
  • Identify obstacles that deter you from achieving your goals and learn how to overcome them
  • Discover how to create SMART goals and daily affirmations

Block #6: Effective Communication

Just Google Me: Using Social Media to Create a Career You Love
Presenter:Tonya Rapley

Your online presence is important, and you don’t need thousands of followers to make social media work for you. Adweek found that 92 percent of companies surveyed use platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for recruitment—yet so many people get it wrong. Social media isn’t just a tool to keep in contact with family and new friends you meet at conference. Learn how to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build your personal brand.

Learning outcomes:

  • Optimize your social media bio to attract opportunities
  • Discover, create and leverage social media “communities”
  • Network on social media using proper etiquette

Lessons Learned by Jugando Dominó
Presenter: Alvert Hernandez

This culturally infused workshop utilizes the popular Latin American board game, Dominó, to discuss skills that are necessary to be an effective communicator in your student organizations. You do not need to know how to play the game to participate in this interactive workshop to learn and reinforce some excellent communication skills!

Learning outcomes:

  • Learn communication best practices through a cultural lens
  • Practice communication strategies during the workshop
  • Interact with peers in small group activities

Put a Ring on It
Presenter: Raven Solomon

Research shows that public speaking is the #1 fear of Americans. We fear public speaking more than we fear death. Being a student leader will often require you to speak publicly, lead meetings, and even facilitate learning experiences for those you lead/serve. What are the keys to effectively engaging an audience so that your content is delivered and received well? In this workshop, students learn proven engagement techniques from a seasoned speaker and facilitator of everything from keynotes to small group workshops. Students will be tasked with learning both from the content being presented, as well as observing the way it is being presented real-time. Learn how to engage while being engaged.

Learning outcomes:

  • Four keys to effectively engaging your audience during facilitation
  • How to appeal to all three learning styles when leading a workshop or meeting
  • 13 potential ways to engage your audience

Zombie Apocalypse: A Survival Guide to Public Speaking
Presenter: Cybel Betancourt

Are you alive but appear to be physically dead? Do you have difficulty expressing emotion? Or, do you become speech impaired when speaking in public? Beware! You might be becoming a zombie. This interactive workshop will provide a guide to surviving the fears of public speaking. Learn a set of skills and tools to avoid becoming the undead in front of your audience.

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify where the fear of public speaking comes from
  • Have a set of tools for addressing your audience
  • Implement public speaking strategies in your everyday life

Black Unicorn
Presenter: Chinez

We have entered a new era of creative and fearless leadership and the time to make your mark is now! From Beychella to Childish Gambino’s This is America, today’s thought leaders and influencers are utilizing nontraditional approaches and creative messaging to generate a lasting social impact. Black Unicorn challenges you to take control of your individuality and to learn the benefits of collaborating with your peers (Peers, 1981). This interactive experience will aid you in improving your student involvement experience through peer-to-peer dialogue and tailored discussions. By incorporating today’s music and memorable pop-culture moments, this session leaves you feeling confident in your authentic leadership style in and outside of your organization.

Learning outcomes:

Participants will leave this program with marketable transferable leadership skills for every professional industry and with the confidence in their ability to:

  • Identify at least two ways to hone their individual leadership style
  • Communicate at least one way to improve their student involvement experience within and outside of student organizations
  • Understand the importance of collaboration among peers
  • Feel confident in their ability to be an authentic student leader

Block #7: Expression and Leadership

Being QTPOC, Love is My Resistance
Presenter: Maurisa Li-A-Ping

It is so easy to feel unloved and invisible as a Queer, Trans Person of Color (QTPOC). In this workshop, we will develop a consciousness of things that encourage shame and self-hate for QTPOC. We will then use poetry to curate an awareness of our value and self-worth. This workshop is for all student leaders while also centering around QTPOC looking to activate radical self-love as a form of resistance, wellness and effective leadership.

Learning outcomes:
Participants will be able to:

  • Develop a consciousness of things that encourage shame and self-hate for QTPOC
  • Curate an awareness of our value and self-worth
  • Understand how radical self-love is a form of resistance, wellness, and effective
    leadership

What the Elements Of Hip Hop Can Teach You About Leadership
Presenter: Jeff Dess

Hip hop culture recently turned 40 years old. At its origin the five elements of hip hop, (Rap, DJ’ing, Breakdancing, Graffiti art, and Knowledge) were defining components that addressed issues of the community. They served as ways to build camaraderie, develop voices for the voiceless, and to create something from nothing. The aforementioned elements will serve as a leadership model. Attendees will use hip hop to create personal leadership goals and identities. how to work with and communicate with diverse student leaders. Attendees will better understand their own personal leadership type. This workshop is extremely interactive with a heavy dose of hip hop participation.

Learning outcomes:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of relationships among diversity, inequality, social, and economy
  • Cultivate a sense of self-awareness through identifying a leadership vision, mission, style and values
  • Increased understanding of cultural knowledge, skills, awareness, and encounters

Beyond Bachata: Leading an Effective Team
Presenter: Claudio Josuel Alejo

Learn how to Bachata while you learn how to build a solid foundation in leadership, team-building, how to successfully run your organization or chapter, establish roles within your organization, and establish a five-star mentality. In order to be strong leaders, we often times have to learn to be good followers. We also must know that as leaders we should learn from and empower our followers.

Learning outcomes:

  • Begin to have a basic understanding of success strategies,
  • Developing cultural competence
  • Recognize some basics of running a successful organization or chapter

“Welcome, I’m Your Leader for The Evening.”
Presenter: Adrien “AD” Odate

This workshop is focused on developing your abilities around leading graciously and moving your agenda forward through commanding the space, owning the “stage,” and inviting people to join the party.
Experienced host and emcee Adrien uses some of those same tools that have made him successful on stage to help you succeed as leaders.

Learning outcomes:

  • Learn how to improve your body language and demeanor
  • Create the vibe that will increase engagement for audiences
  • Get the “party” started—how to accomplish your goals without being pushy and losing the fun

Poetic Justice Spoken Word Workshop
Presenter: Tiana Marie Ford

Discuss the importance of unapologetically using your voice to highlight human rights issues that you are passionate about. The facilitator will share her own stories as a spoken word artist and recite poems about issues that connect with her truth while encouraging participants to write their own poem and share their social justice vision for the future.

Learning outcomes:

  • Empower students to unapologetically share their truth through a creative medium
  • Learn how to use poetry as a self-care tool
  • Discover how to structure a poem for leadership purposes

Block #8 and 9: Self-Care and Wellness

The Well Leader Leads Well
Presenter: Adrien Odate

Too often leaders sacrifice wellness and self-care in order to accomplish their mission(s). But it doesn’t have to be that way. Learn how to make wellness a sustainable part of your lives.

Learning outcomes:

  • Establish some basic fitness pillars (Movement, Nutrition, Recovery)
  • Create a program/ plan that will ensure you can reach their goals physically

The Glo Up
Presenter: Maurisa Li - A- Ping

A true glo up is a holistic journey of internal transformation. This workshop will provide participants with various skills to transform themselves from the inside out. These skills range from deep listening,
storytelling, self-awareness, positive self-talk, and more.

Learning outcomes:

  • Understand how effective leadership requires both external and internal transformation
  • Learn and the difference between soft skills and hard skills
  • Practice soft skills that will enable you to make deep connections

The College Guide to Stress Management: Getting Your Mind and Body Right
Presenter: Nancy Adegoke

Meeting academic demands, navigating personal relationships, finding time for extracurricular activities, juggling a job—does this sound like you? College can be an exciting time when you gain a great level of autonomy and independence as you move away from home for the first time and enter a begin a new and exciting chapter of their lives. It is also period where you are faced with a barrage of academic, social and personal pressures and meeting those demands can be quite challenging. Current research suggests that an increasing number of college students are finding themselves stressed to a point of negatively impacting their academic performance and emotional health. It is important for students to recognize the signs of stress and have the tools and resources to help them get through stressful periods.

This workshop is focused on recognizing physical, cognitive and behavioral signs of stress. We explore the emotional impact of stress on college students and discuss stress management strategies that can help you get back on track.

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify and discuss the symptoms and signs of stress
  • Learn factors that cause stress
  • Learn stress management strategies
  • Identify support and resources helpful to managing stress

Big Ideas, Tiny Details
Presenter: Carrie Kholi-Murchison

Big Ideas, Tiny Details is a dream identification and development workshop engaging participants in imaginative and somatic techniques to source resources and strategies for their most actualized states of being. For students in particular, this workshop aids in stepping outside the day-to-day management of school and work in order to source and build capacity for personal and/or professional expansion and community allyship.

Learning outcomes:

  • Preliminary personal or professional growth strategy
  • Sound intention/action plan
  • Individual practices for assessing internal sensations as decision-making guideposts

What’s Mental Health Got to Do with It
Presenter: Jennifer Mullan

Mental health issues are real for students! There are 1,001 words to describe feelings and emotions, so explaining “what is going on?” can feel really difficult. How are you supposed to know if what you’re feeling is unusual, or where to go to ask for support? Nobody tells you that life isn’t supposed to be “that difficult” and it can be tough to recognize it—and even harder to admit it and seek help.

There is increasing recognition from universities that students are suffering from a great deal of pressure: academic stress, trauma her/histories, perfectionism, social anxiety, financial problems, social media, relationship issues, depression, eating disorders, OCD…the list is ongoing. The good thing is that there is increasing acknowledgment that these feelings are “OK” and that our schools need to pay attention.

This interactive workshop will have you rethinking your mental health challenges, look at very real barriers to access, give you tips on how to know when it is time to seek support, help you understand the importance of having a plan before things go awry, as well as provide some simple and helpful exercises to help reduce stress and overwhelming feelings.

Learning outcomes:

  • Understand the role of your mental health as it relates to your mind, body, and spirit
  • Engage in dialogue around the barriers affecting LGBTQIA+ and communities of color as related to mental wellness
  • Learn how to ask for what you need when your needs are being minimized, even by “well intentioned people”
  • Monitor your emotions and engage in fun self-care consistently
  • Create awareness around the connection between Community Wellness and you!