By Jennifer Page
This past weekend, Houghton University held its fifth annual Activate Leadership Conference in the MVP lounge at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex. During the two-day conference, students listened to presentations from Keynote Speaker Marlena Graves and Chair of Religion, Associate Dean of the Chapel and Adjunct Professor of Youth Ministry Rev. Dr. J.L. Miller; after which, they came up with their own proposal for positive change on Houghton’s campus.
“The Activate Leadership Conference,” said Rachel Wright, Director of the Office of Vocation and Calling and Associate Director of the Center for Student Success, “is an opportunity for students to explore their strengths, develop spiritual disciplines and practices and learn how to use their gifts and talents to create positive impact as leaders in their chosen fields.”
Unlike previous years, when only sophomores could attend the event, the Center for Student Success and Office of Vocation and Calling decided to open up this year’s registration to all Houghton Students.“My sisters participated in the conference their sophomore years and they encouraged me to go,” said junior Will Allen. “I’m very happy that it’s offered to all years now so that I didn’t miss out. I learned a lot about myself and how to work well with others who do not share my strengths.”
During the Saturday session, Allen and the other attendees got the chance to propose a Positive Change Project to a board of reviewers.
“Groups of students come up with an idea of something they want to address or offer either on campus or in the community, which is their proposal for positive change,” said Wright.
The students do not have to plan the proposal on their own, however. Student coaches (students who have previously attended the conference) ensure that the people on their team get everything they can out of the conference.
“I loved the experience of both leading and learning about leadership,” said junior Cody Johnson, one of the student coaches for this year’s conference. “It was a fun opportunity to network with people I might not see on campus any other time and grow together.”
“The Positive Change Project,” continued Johnson, “was a cool opportunity to brainstorm (or “ideate”) with other students about how we can positively influence something at Houghton. It is a reminder to all of us that students and young leaders have the power to implement, regardless of their position or ‘the way things have always been done.’” Although there is no way of telling if one of the Positive Change Projects will actually be implemented on campus, there is a precedent for it to happen, since both the Mosaic Center and the Campus Groups app started as Positive Change Projects. Perhapsanother idea first thought of at the conference will be implemented on campus in the coming year. ★
