Presenters:

• Ilia Sheikholeslami - Chair of Government and Community Relations for Student Senate
• Zayd Hamid - Personal Advisor of the Student Body President

Location: The Hub, Room 1

Description:This session will cover how to advocate for change at the University, Community, and State/Federal Government levels, and how to amplify your message when advocating for change. You will learn how to identify potential allies, build a coalition of people who share your concerns, and work together to achieve your goals. Additionally, you will discover how to engage with your elected officials and make your voice heard through letters, phone calls, or emails. Furthermore, you will learn the fundamentals of lobbying and advocacy techniques, gaining insight into choosing the right strategy for your issue and implementing it effectively to achieve your policy goals.

Presenters: 

• Emma Snyder, Graduate Professional Assistant for the LEAD Office, MSW Intern for LGBTQ+ Resources Center
• Grace Leitner, Graduate Professional Assistant for the LEAD Office

Location: The Hub, Room 2

Description: Participants in the session will learn about how they can build their own self-confidence using their strengths and utilize these skills within various areas of their life!Participants in the session will learn about how they can build their own self-confidence using their strengths and utilize these skills within various areas of their life!

Presenters: 

• Philip Wilkerson
• Lewis Forrest

Location: The Hub, Room 3

Description:“Clear is Kind”-Brene Brown. When we look at leaders, we envision strong, confident and capable people who lead others but how often do we examine the impact of kindness on a person’s leadership capabilities? In the presentation we will discuss the impact kindness has on a person who is trying to motivate and inspire others to reach their full potential.

Presenters:

• Sena Julsdorf, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office
• Maddie Bridgewater, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office

Location: The Hub, Room 5

Description: The Good, the Bad, and the Conflict is a session with the focus that conflict is an inevitable phenomenon in a group, whether one is in a leadership or follower position. The workshop first aims to reduce the negative stigmas and provide a sense of acceptance towards conflict. Following this, the session dives into tools and methods of setting boundaries and expectations for conflict alongside conflict mitigation techniques. Through a variety of engaging and creative activities, we hope to leave the audience with an understanding of their conflict styles, alongside ways to see conflict as a neutral occurrence rather than something to be fearful of. Ultimately, the workshop will demonstrate how leadership can become more effective through an understanding of how we view and comprehend conflict resolution.

Presenter:

• Gracia Melendez, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office
• Megan Switz, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office

Location: The Hub, Room 1

Description:Whenever we're in new communities it can be daunting to formulate authentic and meaningful connections that aren’t rooted in formulaic get to know yours. This workshop will dive into the power of informality through breaking these formulaic methods and shedding light on how best to navigate these awkward first impressions. We will help build self-confidence, originality, and establish community interconnectedness.

Presenters: 

• Hannah Covey
• Spogmai Ahmadzai
• Amaiyahmonet Parker
• Afsana Ahmadi

Location: The Hub, Room 2

Description:This workshop is dedicated to raising awareness about the issue of food insecurity in higher education settings. The session will underscore the critical role of food insecurity as a key social determinant of health and illuminate the intricate linkages between poverty and access to food. Attendees will also be equipped with valuable resources to actively engage in combatting food insecurity within the Mason community.

Presenters: 

• Andy Brown, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office
• Samantha Whetzler, Leadership Consultant for the LEAD Office

Location: The Hub, Room 3

Description: Join Andy and Sam, Student Leadership Consultants at the LEAD Office on a journey of professional development through self-care and well-being practices. We all explore together different barriers to the workplace as well as configuring solutions to combat these disparities. We may also discuss the topic of creating and forming healthy workplace boundaries which sets home/work/life balance.

Presenter(s): Anu Baskar, Geciara Drew, Tereana Battle, and Clara Kwon

Location: The Hub, Room 4

Session Description: Have you ever heard the expression, “Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.” T.S. Eliot? In this session, we will examine the dangers of empathy and how sometimes the best of intentions can be unintentionally harmful. We will examine community engagement through the lens of critical service, which puts the community as the experts. Participants will engage in an activity to build empathy with one another by active listening and sharing their perspectives on equity and justice through thought-provoking images.

Presenters: Dr. Nick Lennon

Location: The Hub, Room 5

Description: Need to make a difficult decision individually, or as a group? What questions do you consider when trying to decide what to do? Consider the following: Would you tell a friend that you discovered that their partner is cheating on them if you are also friends with the person doing the cheating? Would you break a promise to help a friend if you thought another friend might need your help even more? How do you decide what’s best? During this interactive workshop you will engage in activities designed to uncover the pros and cons of the ethical decision-making approaches you are already using. You will also learn about other helpful approaches. Practical resources for making difficult leadership choices will be provided.