The Canadian Conference on Student Leadership is an annual conference that brings student leaders from universities and colleges from all across Canada to share ideas, engage in discussions, and inspire one another. Students and staff members came to Hamilton, ON all the way from institutions in Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
I thought it would be a great opportunity to lend you some of the wisdom I absorbed and encourage you to attend the conference in 2015 if you are engaged in student leadership at the University of Waterloo in any capacity.
This year, I had the pleasure of attending the conference which was held at McMaster University from March 6 – March 8. Although students are able to attend independently, I was sponsored by the Organizational and Human Development department at the University of Waterloo through my role as a Student Leadership Program Facilitator (more on the Student Leadership Program here: https://uwaterloo.ca/organizational-human-development/student-leadership-workshops).
The main theme of the conference was “Change is the Only Constant,” which was at the core of each of the sessions and keynote presentations.
Interestingly, each session had a different format: learning lab, idea exchange, show and tell, panel, and think tank. All workshops were facilitated by students, for students.
I was able to attend 7 student-run sessions throughout the conference; however, there were 3-5 concurrent sessions in each time-slot (over 30 sessions to choose from in total!). Some of the topics discussed were: mental health, expanding your comfort zone, experiential learning through service, personal leadership branding, leadership and sustainability, and the list goes on and on!
I also found that the conference provided a significant networking opportunity through tons of breaks, meals, and a swag swap/coffee house night. Although I was one of the very few engineering students attending, I engaged all the student leaders around me as student leadership isn’t constricted by your background/degree/program. Some of the people I met and conversations I had will stay with me for years to come!
The keynote speakers were Dr. Roberta Bondar, Kristine Stewart, and Adam Kuhn – they each came from a different leadership background.
Dr. Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman to fly in space; her talk was candid, inspirational, and filled with amazing pictures of earth – both from space and on the ground! She encouraged students to ignite their energy, pursue education, and, using those tools, become engaged in their communities. Dr. Bondar ended the session by taking a massive group ‘selfie’ with all the participants – a great way to end her very personable talk.
Kristine Stewart is the Managing Director for Twitter Canada and the former Executive Vice-President of CBC English Services. Her massive experience in running corporations and businesses provided delegates with a unique insight into leadership and entrepreneurship. She encouraged students to always be on the side that is new and different. Not only that, Kristine also believes in the phrase “You are where you are meant to be” – that regardless of what you are doing or planning to do, your present and the path it follows into the future are meant only for you and are controlled only by you.
Finally, Adam Kuhn, a student affairs professional who has had a wide-range of experiences in many different universities, shared some of the wisdom he has borrowed over the years. He encouraged students to always ask themselves: “what would you do if you were not afraid?” to truly tap into your inner passion and desire. Adam also presented the 5-5-5 Rule: when you are faced with failure, stop and think – will this matter to me in 5 minutes, 5 months, or 5 years?
The next Canadian Conference on Student Leadership will be held at the University of Manitoba in November 2015 – which is still more than a year away! If you are interested in attending, be sure to keep this date in the back of your mind! For more information on the Canadian Conference on Student Leadership 2014, go to www.theccsl.ca.
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