For students at the University of British Columbia, there is no more profound conference than the annual Student Leadership Conference (SLC), held every January.
One of the largest student-led conferences in Canada, the SLC provides delegates with inspiring speeches, workshops and presentations to teach the value of leadership in the UBC community and beyond.
Reaching over 1,200 students, alumni and community members every year, the conference brings together those just beginning to develop their leadership skills with accomplished local professionals, world-renowned speakers and students with experience levels across the board.
The 2015 conference, happening this Saturday, January 10, is themed around ‘The Next Step’, recognizing that no matter where you are in your leadership experience, there is always another step to be taken.
This conference, beginning at 9 a.m. on the UBC campus, starts off with an opening keynote speech by Shaifali Puri, Executive Director of Global Innovation at the Nike Foundation. Her writing on innovative global initiatives in the health sector has been featured in publications such as Fortune magazine, New York Times, World Policy Journal, Slate, and many more.
The closing keynote is renowned inspirational speaker Derreck Kayongo. Kayongo went from being a child refugee to Director at some of the biggest NGO’s in the world, stopping at nothing to obtain an education, U.S. citizenship, and social change along the way. He has been named a 2011 CNN HERO, won the Maxx Entrepreneurship Award, received the Refugee Services Award and honored by Congressman John Lewis with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition.
In between keynotes, delegates will attend workshops given by UBC students, alumni, staff and faculty as well as presentations by inspiring leaders in the Vancouver community. Vancity Buzz Editor-in-Chief Farhan Mohamed and Co-Founder Manny Bahia are Featured Presenters at this year’s conference.
One of the most notable aspects of the SLC is its yearly recognition of some of the most outstanding student leaders on the UBC campus. The Faces of Today Awards highlight eight students who have contributed vast amounts of time, energy and passion toward enhancing the UBC community. Nominated by their peers, these students are generally recognized for the extra-curricular achievements outside of academic life.
This year’s Faces of Today, announced last month, are President of the Materials Engineering Undergraduate Club, Lawrence Lam; Program Development staff at UBC Recreation Intramurals, the Gala Co-Chair for the UBC Dance Club, and the founder of UBC #applyforeverything, Olivia Yung; President of the UBC Players’ Club and an Editor for The Garden Statuary, Carolyn Nakagawa; Residence Coordinator of Salish house in Totem Park, Mason Margotta; Special Projects Coordinator for a student-led initiative in the School of Kinesiology, Robyn Freiheit; Director of UBC’s Common Energy organization, Veronika Bylicki; Representative of Western Canada in the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations, James Timperley; and Editor-in-Chief of the UBC Journal of International Affairs, Klaudia Wegschaider.
Registration for the UBC Student Leadership Conference closes Thursday at 10 a.m.
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