Conference Tracks & Sessions
Get ready to dive into two days of dynamic learning, meaningful connections, and real-world transformation! Whether you’re a student leader or a student affairs professional, this conference is packed with energy and purpose. Choose your path from a lineup of compelling tracks and hands-on workshops designed to empower, inspire, and equip you for success on campus—and beyond.
⸻ Look for sessions in these tracks: ⸻
Sessions in this track empower students to prioritize their well-being as they develop essential life and leadership skills. “Keeping your cup full” means you can lead others sustainably and compassionately. Included sessions are:
Leading Without Losing Yourself
Cybel Betancourt, Buenas Cosas, LLC
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor—and it’s time student leaders stop wearing it like one. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how real leadership starts with caring for yourself. You’ll learn how to recognize the early signs of burnout, set boundaries that protect your energy, and build daily habits that support your well-being. Together, we’ll challenge the campus culture that glorifies being busy and reframe self-care as a vital leadership strength, not a selfish act. Through guided reflection, group activities, and practical tools, you’ll create a personalized self-leadership care plan that helps you lead effectively without losing yourself in the process. Whether you’re managing a student organization, balancing academics and leadership, or simply trying to keep up with life, this session will help you lead from a place of purpose, not exhaustion.
Learning to Thrive, Not Just Survive: Understanding Our Interconnected System
Marlanae Heaven, Community Evolve and Thrive
In today’s high-pressure campus environments, student leaders often fall into survival mode and push through burnout while supporting others. This session empowers collegiate leaders to prioritize their own well-being by exploring the mind-body-environment connection through the lens of neuroscience and self-regulation. Participants will learn how the nervous system influences thoughts, behaviors, and energy- highlighting how stress, over commitment, and environmental factors impact our leadership capacity. This session equips participants with a personalized wellness toolbox of practical strategies to regulate emotions and sustain energy. Through grounding techniques, interactive reflection, and a music-based activity that demonstrates how sensory input affects the nervous system, students will learn to tune into their internal states and cultivate greater self-awareness. Students will reinforce the idea that personal thriving is not separate from effective leadership; it is the foundation to be a compassionate and impactful leader.
The Leadership Mirror: Checking in Before You Burn Out
Jamaine Leverett, Leverett’s Consulting Group
Student leaders juggle academics, campus involvement, and the pressure of leading peers—all while striving to make a difference. But in the rush to meet expectations, it’s easy to neglect your own mental and emotional well-being. This session invites student leaders to pause, reflect, and reset. Through powerful storytelling, practical strategies, and guided dialogue, participants will explore the hidden toll of leadership pressures and learn how to recognize burnout before it takes hold. Students will gain simple tools for regular self-checks, managing stress, and building habits that protect their well-being. This session encourages honest reflection and offers a supportive space to rethink what sustainable leadership looks like—leadership that starts with caring for yourself so you can lead others with clarity, compassion, and strength.
The Life Edit: Redefining Student Success Through Mindset, Boundaries, and Communication
Ivana Farrar, Motivating Minds for Achievement
Today’s student leaders are navigating an evolving landscape where emotional intelligence, resilience, and effective communication are more critical than ever. This session addresses the essential life skills that directly influence leadership effectiveness and personal well-being. Students will learn how to develop a growth-oriented mindset, set and maintain healthy boundaries, and communicate with clarity and purpose. These skills are crucial for managing responsibilities, fostering inclusive environments, and leading with confidence. As leadership trends shift toward holistic development and sustainability, this session offers practical strategies that empower students to lead authentically while maintaining balance.
Sound Your Battle Cry: From Self-Doubt to Self-Respect
Kate Garnes, Kate Garnes LLC
Leadership starts with how we talk to ourselves. In this session, students will learn how to silence their inner critic, reframe negative self-talk, and tap into the inner strength that fuels confidence and authentic leadership. With rising mental health challenges and increased pressure on student leaders to “have it all together,” this session creates space for vulnerability, self-reflection, and mindset shifts. Participants will explore how self-worth impacts their ability to lead others, make decisions, build meaningful connections, and create inclusive communities on campus. Through real talk and relatable stories, students will walk away with practical tools to protect their mental health, choose supportive friendships, and lead from a place of compassion and courage—because before you lead anyone else, you have to believe in yourself first.
Explore foundational communication skills, including active listening, public speaking, conflict resolution, and persuasive storytelling. By enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication, students become equipped to lead more effectively. Included sessions are:
AI-Enhanced Storytelling and Content Creation for Student Leaders
Hailey Evans, Strategies That Stick
Student leaders are expected to do it all—communicate clearly, promote events, inspire their peers, and represent their organizations both online and in person. But with constant content demands and short attention spans, it’s harder than ever to get your message across in a way that feels authentic, engaging, and effective. This session teaches student leaders how to combine two practical storytelling frameworks—the 5-Part Storytelling Blueprint and the EPIC Messaging Framework—with easy-to-use AI tools that boost creativity and save time. Participants will learn how to craft compelling messages for club promotions, speeches, volunteer recruitment, and social media that actually connect with their audience and inspire action. We’ll also explore how AI tools like ChatGPT and Canva Magic Write can support student leaders in brainstorming ideas, writing content, and enhancing their impact—without losing their unique voice.
Talk Like TED: Powerful Communication for Change Makers
Kristel Flynn, University of Illinois Chicago and Saint Xavier University
Are you ready to take your voice to the next level and make an even bigger impact? This session is all about helping student leaders, like you, strengthen your communication game so you can inspire, motivate, and lead with confidence—whether that’s on your campus, in the community, or out in the world. Using the standout strategies from Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo, we will dive into what makes great speakers unforgettable: emotional connection, powerful storytelling, genuine enthusiasm, and keeping it simple and clear. Through hands-on activities, students will get a chance to craft and share their own TED-style moments, explore how body language shapes their message, and practice creating a strong elevator pitch that gets ideas across in 30 seconds or less. This isn’t just about public speaking, it’s about using your voice to spark change and connect with others in meaningful ways.
SHAPES: An Unexpected Self-Audit for Authentic Relationships
Bianca Chandler, Focusing Ahead
Today’s student leaders know that authentic connection is at the heart of effective leadership. This session introduces SHAPES, a self-reflection tool designed to help students explore their leadership styles, values, and interaction patterns. Through guided activities and discussions, participants will gain deeper self-awareness, improve communication, and learn strategies to navigate diverse perspectives, team dynamics, and conflict with empathy and confidence. SHAPES also emphasizes the importance of personal well-being—helping students recognize stressors, set healthy boundaries, and practice self-compassion as a foundation for resilience.
Three Steps to Resilience: Navigating Difficult People
Kelly Lippenholz, Maryvale Preparatory School
Traditional education rarely prepares students for the realities of college life—dorm or apartment living, interacting with professors, participating in groups, and managing the inevitable challenges that come with these new relationships. By focusing on self-awareness, conflict resolution, and relationship-building, student leaders will leave with practical tools to create healthier, more supportive campus environments. Empower your students to turn everyday challenges into opportunities for growth, resilience, and stronger community connections—key ingredients for both personal well-being and student retention.
The Power of Self-Awareness in Conflict: Leading with Emotional Intelligence
Jen Fry, JenFryTalks
Great leadership begins with self-awareness—especially when navigating conflict. In this session, students will examine how their emotional intelligence and personal conflict styles shape communication, decision-making, and team dynamics. Participants will identify emotional triggers, explore their default responses to tension, and learn to adapt their conflict approach based on context and relationship. By connecting their identities, lived experiences, and leadership roles, students will be encouraged to move beyond avoidance or escalation and instead see conflict as a catalyst for growth, trust-building, and values-driven leadership. This session empowers emerging leaders to lean into discomfort with clarity and intention.
Sessions in this track are dedicated to developing impactful and visionary student leaders and explore various leadership styles and skills. Included sessions are:
The Student Leadership Challenge Experience
Alix Cohler and Jason Scott Quinn, Collegiate Empowerment
This session introduces student leaders to The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® from The Student Leadership Challenge® by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. Through interactive activities and group discussions, participants will explore how to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. This session focuses on helping students understand what effective leadership looks like, how to align actions with values, and how to engage others in working toward a common purpose.
Emotionally Confident Leadership
Ariassa Wilson, You-Ish
This session offers a powerful, practical bridge between emotional intelligence, self-esteem, confidence, and leadership development for college student leaders. At this life stage, students are learning to lead in high-pressure environments, both academically, socially, and organizationally, where emotions often drive decision-making more than strategy. By focusing on developing emotional confidence rather than emotional control, this session challenges outdated leadership models that overlook the human experience. Instead, it empowers students to understand, recognize, and coach their emotional responses.
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way
Drew Davis, Quality Over Quantity, LLC
What does it really mean to be a leader? In this session, we’ll break down common ideas about leadership and explore how leadership qualities can look different from person to person. Together, we’ll identify traits that great leaders share, discuss how we respond to leadership as followers, and consider how leadership happens in everyday situations—even when we don’t realize it. Through reflection and group activities, students will gain insight into the leadership skills they already possess and discover the style of leadership that resonates most with them. This session helps students see that leadership isn’t an all-or-nothing label—you don’t have to hold a title to make a difference.
Empowered Leadership: Breaking Barriers and Envisioning Impact
Pamela Gurley, Clark and Hill Enterprise
While there is a growing push to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in various sectors, this shift does not diminish the critical importance of fostering diversity and creating inclusive spaces—especially for leaders. True leadership thrives on the ability to bring people together, celebrate differences, and create environments where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Diversity isn’t just a goal to achieve—it’s a powerful driver of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Together, we’ll examine how leaders can embed inclusivity into their daily actions, decisions, and organizational culture, even without formal DEI programs in place.
Thriving as an Outsider: Lead with Power, Not Permission
Naeemah Elias, Elias Presence Ventures, LLC
Many student leaders know what it’s like to stand out—and not always in a good way. Whether you’re the first, the only, or simply different from the dominant culture on campus, leadership can feel isolating. This session offers strategies for turning that outsider status into an asset. We’ll explore how identity shapes leadership, how to speak with authority even when your voice shakes, and how to create change without burning out. Through storytelling, discussion, and practical tools, students will walk away with new language for their experiences and the confidence to lead authentically, even in spaces that weren’t built with them in mind. This session is especially relevant for BIPOC students, first-gen college students, LGBTQ+ leaders, and anyone navigating leadership from the margins.
Find Your Why, Find Your Way: The Key to Purpose-Driven Leadership
Andrew Curiel, University of Mount Saint Vincent
As today’s student leaders juggle academic pressure, campus responsibilities, and future uncertainty, burnout, imposter syndrome, and lack of direction have become all too common. This session helps student leaders reconnect with what truly drives them—by uncovering their personal “why.” Drawing on Viktor Frankl’s powerful philosophy—“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”—this session offers more than inspiration: it delivers a framework for sustainable, values-based leadership. Ideal for anyone questioning their path or looking to lead with more meaning, this session is a powerful reminder that knowing your “why” isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
The life-skills track is tailored to equip college students with vital life skills to navigate adulthood successfully and balance their responsibilities, including time management, financial literacy, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Included sessions are:
Goals are Dreams with Action
Khalyn J, The Student Success Network
Most students have set goals, made resolutions, or tried creating SMART goals—but staying committed is where the real challenge begins. Research shows that only 8% of people stick with their goals beyond 30 days. This interactive session helps student leaders break that cycle by learning how to set meaningful, achievable goals tied to a clear, intentional plan. Using the D.R.E.A.M. Framework (Desire, Rescue, Environment, Action, Mental Meeting), participants will explore how to define what they truly want, anticipate and overcome obstacles, and create a supportive environment that fuels their success. Leadership starts with knowing where you’re going—and this session provides a practical, repeatable system students can use to set and achieve goals year after year.
Conversations with Your Financial Therapist: Unscripted
Erika Wasserman, Your Financial Therapist
Talking about money is one of the most avoided topics—yet it’s deeply connected to mental wellness, confidence, and leadership development. Whether you’re a student navigating independence or a professional guiding the next generation, this session equips you to lead powerful, emotionally intelligent conversations around money. In this session, you’ll explore how money beliefs are formed, how emotional triggers show up in daily decision-making, and why mindset—not math—is what drives lasting change. Participants will gain tools to model and encourage open, non-judgmental conversations about money—whether in classrooms, leadership retreats, peer mentoring, or digital content. Perfect for students and those who support them, this session makes money talk approachable, empowering, and even enjoyable. You don’t need to be a financial expert—just willing to get real.
Staying Ahead of Life: Leading from Within
Jeffrey Young, Professional Training Academy
In today’s fast-moving campus culture, student leaders are often expected to juggle academics, organizations, and personal growth—yet many struggle to keep up with the growing demands. This session is designed to help students build the consistent, everyday practices that fuel long-term leadership success. Rooted in the idea that small actions create big results, this session explores how habits shape identity, influence behavior, and impact a leader’s ability to stay grounded under pressure. Participants will directly tackle common issues like time management, inconsistency, accountability, and personal development. Participants will leave with a practical “1% Better” growth plan and a deeper understanding of how to build habits that align with who they want to become—not just what they want to achieve.
Unlocking Potential: Life Skills and Leadership for Future Success
Jeremiah Brown, The Lead AAC
Unlock your leadership potential with the 5 C Framework—a dynamic approach designed to help student leaders develop essential life skills and lead with purpose. In this session, participants will begin by identifying real challenges they face and reflecting on their unique sense of purpose, laying the foundation for clear career and leadership goals. From there, students will build competence in key skills such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking—qualities that today’s student leaders need to navigate complex situations with resilience. This session equips students not only to lead effectively on campus, but also to grow personally and professionally as they transition beyond college. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore practical strategies that will help you overcome.
Campus to Career: Thriving in Your First 90 Days and Beyond
Kellye Franklin-Nelson, Kellye Franklin LLC
The transition from student leader to early-career professional is one of the most defining—and often underestimated—phases in a young leader’s journey. This session helps students bridge the gap between campus leadership and workplace success by exploring how to navigate the critical first 90 days on the job while continuing to lead with impact. Participants will explore real-world strategies for setting intentional goals, managing their time and energy, and showing their leadership potential—even when they’re still learning the ropes. This workshop connects common student leadership traits like initiative, curiosity, and collaboration to essential workplace habits such as managing up, setting expectations, and owning your development. We’ll dive into how to ask the right questions, build early credibility, and create a success plan that goes beyond just doing the job. Whether attendees are preparing for their first internship, entry-level role, or graduate opportunity, they’ll leave with actionable strategies to thrive, not just survive, in the professional world.
Dreams to Reality: Three Questions to Determine the Right Career Path
Stefan Thomas, Success Waves
Ever feel like everyone else has their future figured out except you? You’re not alone. Choosing a career can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. This isn’t your typical career workshop—it’s a journey into discovering who you are, why you’re here, and what you’re meant to do. This session is for students who are tired of feeling confused about what career to choose or tired of following someone else’s plan for their life. Through fun, high-energy activities and powerful reflection moments, you will build a clear picture of your identity, purpose, and path forward toward your dream career. You’ll learn three practical steps on how to connect your passions with real opportunities and leave knowing how to pursue a career that feels right—not just looks good on paper. Whether you’re undecided, changing your mind every semester, or just want to make sure you’re on the right track, this session will help you move from confusion to clarity in your career.
Become agents of change who inspire and advocate for inclusivity, advocate for a better future, and are social justice champions—both with the groups you lead on campus and on your postgraduate path. Included sessions are:
Who You Are, How You Lead: Embracing Your Identity
Velshay Stokes, Stokes Collaborative
This session explores the concept of positionality and how our identities shape our leadership style, decision-making, and interactions on campus. As student leaders, understanding your own positionality is essential for fostering inclusivity, navigating diverse perspectives, and addressing the challenges faced by various campus communities. By examining factors such as race, gender, class, ability, and culture, you’ll gain insight into how privilege and marginalization affect both your leadership and the experiences of those you serve. In this session, you’ll reflect on your personal identity and its impact on your role as a leader, learn strategies to address conflicts and biases, and explore how to cultivate empathy in your leadership practices.
Defy the Rules: How to Shed Expectations and Pursue What Matters to You Most
Gabrielle Galon, Campus Speaker
College student leaders often carry the dual weight of personal expectations and the responsibility of representing their peers. With pressure from parents, professors, social media, and campus culture, it can be difficult to separate what they truly want from what they think they “should” do. This session introduces the SHED Framework—a powerful tool designed to help student leaders release the external expectations that cloud their judgment, reconnect with their authentic goals, and lead with clarity and conviction. Students will learn how to shed the pressure to perform and instead lead from a place of purpose.
Local Leadership Lab: Equipping Changemakers to Run for Office
Krystal Marx, People’s Community Empowerment Institute
This session empowers student leaders to translate their passion for social justice into tangible local impact and demystify the process of running for local office. Participants will learn essential campaign skills, from grassroots organizing and fundraising to effective communication and navigating local political landscapes. We’ll explore how to build diverse coalitions, amplify marginalized voices, and advocate for policies that create inclusive and equitable communities. This session goes beyond theory, offering actionable strategies and real-world examples to equip you with the tools necessary to launch a successful campaign. Discover how your student leadership experience can be leveraged to drive meaningful change in your local community and learn how to become a powerful advocate for a better future, starting right where you are.
Our Hand the Bias Within
Peter Ferguson, Peter Ferguson BHS, LLC
Every student leader holds a unique hand of identity “cards”—aspects of who we are that shape how we lead, connect, and create change. In this session, participants will explore how their own identities, and those of others, influence their leadership journey, relationships, and impact. Using the metaphor of “cards in our life deck,” we’ll reflect on how strengths, challenges, opportunities, and blind spots emerge from our intersecting identities, from names and roles to lived experiences and values. Together, we’ll discuss what’s working in our efforts to foster meaningful connections, where we’re falling short, and what new strategies can help us become more effective changemakers. Participants will leave with practical insights and action steps for building inclusive communities, navigating networks, and advancing social justice in their leadership roles and beyond.
Lead Loud: Becoming the Changemaker Your Campus and the World Needs
Sam Browne, Faith and Effort, LLC
This session empowers students to harness their unique voice, values, and lived experiences to create meaningful change on campus and beyond. Students will be introduced to the nationally recognized GROWTH Strategy, a practical framework designed to support personal evolution as the foundation for leading with purpose. Together, we’ll craft changemaker statements, map out advocacy goals, and identify immediate, actionable next steps that foster inclusivity and spark movement in their communities. Attendees will leave ready to shift from a “me” to “we” mindset, amplifying voices and building a culture of belonging wherever they lead.
Learn to build meaningful connections to better navigate networking opportunities and foster relationships that support your leadership journey and career aspirations. Included sessions are:
Link and Lead: Strategic Networking for Student Leaders
Diana Richardson Phillipus, Empowered Women Empower
In an increasingly competitive and digitally connected world, networking is no longer optional, it’s essential. Today’s student leaders are navigating more than academic success; they are expected to build personal brands, cultivate influence, and position themselves for future leadership opportunities. This session is designed to help emerging leaders develop one of the most valuable leadership competencies: the ability to build authentic, strategic, and lasting relationships. This session explores the connection between intentional networking and effective leadership. Students will learn how to confidently introduce themselves, initiate meaningful conversations, and follow up in ways that build trust and opportunity. Students will discover how to leverage their existing networks, identify key connections, and create a personalized action plan for long-term success.
Build Your Net Worth Through Building Your Network
Joanna de Pena, Top Notch Scholars
In today’s dynamic collegiate landscape, effective networking is a must. It stands as a cornerstone of student leadership development, offering invaluable opportunities for growth and advancement. This session explores the vital connection between building one’s network and fostering successful leadership skills among college students. Amidst current struggles, evolving communication, and technological trends, cultivating meaningful connections has emerged as a strategic imperative, enabling students to navigate challenges and seize emerging opportunities with confidence daily! From leveraging social media platforms to cultivating personal relationships, attendees will gain insights into building authentic networks that yield long-term dividends in both academic and professional spheres.
Be Your Prototype: Designing the Leader You Want to Become
Chisolu Isiadinso, CPI Enterprise
Today’s student leaders are navigating a new era of leadership, one that demands authenticity, self-awareness, and purpose over titles and popularity. In a world where comparison, imposter syndrome, and burnout are common, many student leaders struggle with defining what leadership looks like for them. This session is designed to help students build a personal leadership identity rooted in values, voice, and vision. Participants will address real student leadership challenges, including confidence-building, inclusive leadership, and sustainable growth, while giving students a space to define their own leadership blueprint. Whether students are new to leadership or redefining their impact, this session will help them walk away with clarity, confidence, and a prototype for who they are becoming.
Check back for a list of sessions that are designed solely for faculty, staff, and other professionals who support and mentor student leaders. These sessions will focus on strategies and best practices for guiding students in their leadership journeys, fostering inclusive environments, and promoting holistic student development.