The Leadership Conference changed the tide with its new location at Smith Mountain Lake. This year the annual conference was held from Nov. 14 to the 16. The purpose of the conference was to educate students on leadership. This year’s theme was “Change the Tide.” The conference has been in existence for several years, although this was the first year it was held at the W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake.
With over 70 participants, the conference was a huge success even with the uncertainty of the new location. Dynasty Jefferson, a senior at Longwood, has been going on the Mountain Lake Leadership Conference since she was a freshman. When asked how she felt about the new location she said, “it was a lot better than I thought it would be, it helps that it’s a great group of people this year”.
Longwood’s Student Educators for Active Leadership (S.E.A.L.) hosted the conference. Alison Von Bredow, a junior at Longwood and a member of S.E.A.L. commented on the new location stating, “The new location offers more opportunities for activities, it’s really exciting because everyone is seeing this place for the first time.”
S.E.A.L. is a student run leadership organization at Longwood University. The group aims to help Longwood students expand their leadership identity and skills through several different activities they host, including the Mountain Lake leadership Conference.
The conference attracted many different students from freshman to seniors, to newcomers, as well as returners; everyone who participated in the event seemed to love it. Many students claimed that they grew as leaders from their experience at the conference. Some of the members of S.E.A.L. even stated that this year’s conference was by far the best one.
Jessica McGill, a junior at Longwood, went on the trip for the first time this year. She said she wanted to come to the conference to gain a stronger voice, “I’ve talked more here than I ever have at Longwood. I’ve definitely started developing my voice, and I’m going to keep working on it.”
This year’s theme, “Change the Tide,” focused on utilizing leadership in order to guide students towards improving their leadership skills while identifying their passions to develop a vision and direction for their future.
Tracy Knofla was the keynote speaker for the weekend. She had conducted hundreds of presentations, workshops and seminars around America. This was Knofla’s second year at the Mountain Lake Leadership Conference. Knofla says she loves the Longwood students and their impressive drive for citizen leadership.
There were also many other impressive presenters at the conference including several Longwood faculty members such as Longwood’s Vice President for Student Affairs, Tim Pierson.
Students who signed up for the conference traveled together on a Longwood bus and arrived at the 4-H camp on Friday evening. Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by Knofla at the opening ceremony.
Saturday was the main day of the conference, with different workshop sessions throughout the day. Students had the opportunity to pick and choose between several workshops. The available subjects ranged anywhere from creativity with leadership to leadership with social cognition.
Once the workshop sessions were over, the students were offered to participate in various activities, one option being a hike around the beautiful mountain lake.
On Sunday morning students woke up for the closing ceremony and said goodbye to the new friends they had made. Tracy Knofla spoke again at the closing ceremony sending the students home with a formal goodbye.
According to Alison Von Bredow a lot of preparation went into the conference. She said they had to book the place, get transportation, contact professors and advertise for the event.
Many efforts by the members of S.E.A.L. and Longwood faculty members made the conference possible. Emily Gallihugh, Chair for S.E.A.L., and Adrian Bitton, Associate Director for Citizen Leadership and Service Learning, played huge roles in the success of the conference.
Although the Mountain Lake Conference is over for this year, many students who went benefitted from this experience and grew as citizen leaders. This was one of the main goals that Longwood University had for the event.
Keynote speakers, S.E.A.L. members as well as Longwood students and faculty pose smiling after an educational getaway at Smith Mountain Lake.
