'By Students, For Students’: UConnect Conference Develops Next Generation of Student Leaders
by Georgia Laidlaw
Earlier this year, UC students and the Office of the Dean of Students hosted the annual UConnect Student Leadership Conference. The day-long event featured a full roster of programming including information panels, a keynote presentation, and workshops to help attendees learn practical tools and skills to further their leadership goals.
“UConnect is a really unique leadership experience,” said Jared Boland, one of the staff supporting the event and Assistant Dean of Students, Student Life & Leadership at University College. “It's sort of a ‘by and for’ students, and I think that translates into our participants’ experiences because they see themselves reflected in the design.”
Though college staff like Jared are responsible for hiring the conference’s planning committee, the day’s programs and activities were organized entirely by student leaders, many of whom are also UC students. Some of the programs these students organized also included a career discovery session and a vision boarding workshop designed to help participants understand their own unique leadership approach.
“I think there were a lot of contributions going from both sides. It never felt one-sided,” said Zara Munir, a UC student and UConnect’s head of marketing.
“The Office of the Dean of Students gave us a chance to speak and have our own opinions,” added Eunice Cayanga, the conference's co-logistics head. “They guided us through a lot of things, which I appreciate about the UC community, because they really value that teamwork.”
Eunice Cayanga – UConnect Co-logistics HeadThe Office of the Dean of Students gave us a chance to speak and have our own opinions, which I appreciate about the UC community, because they really value that teamwork.
Other UConnect leaders like Ary Kwun, the event’s principal organizer and Student Life Assistant, saw their leadership role as an opportunity to apply skills gained in previous experiences to grow as a leader — and in Kwun's case — explore two areas she was most passionate about: helping students on campus and the UC community.
“I was originally attracted to this position when I saw that I could use my previous leadership experience in a UC Student Life setting,” she said. “I wanted to help students gain and cultivate their leadership skills at UC and get the most out of their experience at U of T.”
Kwun, who is currently pursuing a double major in physiology and psychology, led the team of five student staff that brought the conference to life. She previously served in positions such as mid-year rep on the UC Lit, but UConnect was among her first major leadership positions.
"I signed up not knowing exactly how many skills were involved with leadership," she admitted, "I've picked up [new] skills, but also realized communication, teamwork, and organization are skills that we already have. It's just applying them in a leadership position is something you have to realize along the way.
Ary Kwun – Student Life AssistantI wanted to help students gain and cultivate their leadership skills at UC and get the most out of their experience at U of T.
Bridging an insight like the one Kwun had to actionable steps that participants could take in the context of their own unique journeys was one of the key goals UConnect sought to address.
The Envisioning the Leader Within: Journaling and Vision Boarding workshop achieved this by introducing the idea of ‘daring leadership’ and exploring the participants’ intrinsic leadership qualities during a craft workshop.
“This idea of daring leadership is to challenge dominant notions about leadership or a leader,” said Anucha, who facilitated the workshop. “For a lot of us, when we think about a leader, we think of someone really authoritative, charismatic, outgoing — and those qualities are great — but some people might be more reserved, quiet, or shy. And because they're different from that typical mould of what a leader is, they might not see themselves as a leader.
“The session addressed: how do we challenge those views, tap into our own unique strengths, and leverage them to be a leader? We used collage, journaling, and vision boarding to express some of those things and reflect.”
After the session, students like Akshaya shared some of the insights that surfaced during their reflection. “I realized with all the good leaders that I've had: it's not really their personality that they have in common, but how they treat people and how they have collaborated with others that make them a good leader,” they said.
“Maybe this might resonate more with people who are still not fully stepping into leadership roles,” added Anucha, “but just put yourself out there, step outside of your comfort zone and try it out. If you are interested in leadership, or you want to work in a leadership capacity but feel tentative or hesitant to, take the risk.”
Sometimes, that is easier said than done when surrounded by leaders who seem to already have it all together, but as Kwun and other student organizers attested to — including Jared Boland, who delivered the keynote address detailing the lessons he learned along his own leadership journey — the path to lead is not always linear and can begin no matter where one may start from.
“I feel like I am more confident in the way that I view myself as a leader," said UConnect participant Lilit during the conference. "I realized I'm not far behind or falling back. I'm only in my second year right now, but I always feel like I don't have enough time to reach my full potential. And hearing that other people have been through what I'm going through made me feel better," she said.
"I really enjoyed Jared's keynote about his journey and the lessons he learned," added attendee Ming Jing Zi. "I realized that I am also on this journey, so I would recommend that everyone join this conference in the future, even for many times. It's a good chance to connect with everyone and also to learn."
UConnect truly attracted students from all walks of life, as many students had different motivations for attending. Gloria, a student in her third year, registered to prepare for coursework and her future career path, but found that the conference also provided a good opportunity to push herself in new areas like public speaking.
“In the future, I might have more course projects, and I might be the leader,” she said, “so [my motivation] was very practical. I'm quite shy and nervous to speak in front of other people. The conference has been a good opportunity to practice more.”
Other students, like Khaleeq, were planning to pivot disciplines during their final years of undergrad and were looking for opportunities to connect with other students.
“I realized I would like to transition into teaching. It took me a long time to find the path that I wanted, and I really enjoy the social aspect of leadership, so I just came to make friends and learn more,” he said. “One big takeaway was to decenter myself from picking really specific and narrow goals, whether it be in life in general, but also in careers. If you follow your broad interests, you will find a place where you belong, whether or not it has the title that you thought it would, and I appreciated that lesson.”
Ary Kwun – Student Life AssistantEveryone has leadership skills, and leadership can be seen in all aspects of daily life. This is exactly what the conference is all about: helping students who may be new to leadership cultivate their skills and introduce them to the world of leadership. Leadership is everywhere. Everyone can be a leader.
When asked for concluding thoughts or if attendees would recommend the conference to other students, the answer was a resounding ‘yes’.
“I think the real theme of this conference is learning that everyone has leadership skills and leadership can be seen in all aspects of daily life,” said Kwun, “the example that I think of a lot are group projects. Taking leadership in small, low-risk settings can always set you up for bigger roles, but leadership can be found anywhere. It can even just be holding the door for somebody; that might be an image of leadership. This is exactly what the conference is all about: helping students who may be new to leadership cultivate their skills and introduce them to the world of leadership. Leadership is everywhere. Everyone can be a leader.”
“Just don't even think about it. Just sign up,” laughed Khaleeq, “I didn't think about it either. I saw it in an email, and I signed up and have no regrets. It was simple to register and fun to attend.”