Student Leadership
Institute Workshops
The Student Leadership Institute (SLI) is a series of interactive workshops designed to help students develop and refine personal leadership skills.
Fall 2025
Goal Setting For Your Org
"Goal Setting for Your Org" focused on helping student leaders define and visualize their goals for the semester. During the session, we discussed strategies for creating clear, attainable objectives and reflected on what we wanted to accomplish within our organizations. After outlining our priorities, we created personalized vision boards to represent our goals in a more visual and inspiring way. This experience was incredibly helpful for me both as a leader and as a person, as it encouraged me to think intentionally about the direction I want to take in my leadership roles, and it reminded me of the importance of balancing ambition with realistic planning. Crafting a vision board helped me see how my goals connect not just to my organization’s success, but also to my personal growth, motivation, and confidence as I continue to develop as a leader.
Student Leader To Work Leader
The workshop "Student Leader to Work Leader", helped translate campus involvement into professional skills and career readiness. During the session, we discussed how to highlight leadership experiences, extracurricular activities, and unique strengths on a résumé. We also created a chart outlining our campus involvement and identified the skills, lessons, and personal growth we gained from each role. This activity helped me recognize how much I’ve developed through my student leadership experiences and how those skills are valuable in professional settings. As both a leader and a person, this session encouraged me to take pride in my accomplishments, better understand my transferable skills, and feel more confident about how I present myself and my experiences beyond campus.
Building Toward Balance
"Building Toward Balance", taught me how to manage my time, set boundaries, and maintain a healthy balance between academic, personal, and leadership responsibilities. During the session, we discussed practical strategies for organizing our schedules, prioritizing what matters most, and learning how to say no when our plates become too full. I also learned about the importance of self-care and how taking time to recharge can actually make me a more effective and present leader. This workshop reminded me that leadership isn’t just about constant productivity, but about sustainability, awareness, and knowing my own limits. As both a leader and a person, it helped me recognize that balance is key to long-term success and that setting boundaries allows me to show up fully for both myself and the people I lead.
Spring 2025
Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter Weather
"Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter Weather" was an insightful and hands-on workshop that highlighted the crucial steps in ensuring your car is fully prepared for harsh winter conditions. The session focused on the importance of checking your vehicle’s overall condition, such as tire tread depth, battery health, and fluid levels, to prevent any issues during freezing temperatures. We were also introduced to a range of safety devices and features, including anti-lock brakes, traction control, and winter tires, to enhance vehicle performance and safety in snow and ice. Overall, it was a comprehensive learning experience to help keep our vehicles running smoothly and safely through the colder months.
Unreliable Narrator
This session titled was an insightful exploration into how imposter syndrome affects our minds. Through group discussions, we talked about what our "Unreliable Narrators" look like and how they influence our thoughts, particularly in relation to self-doubt and insecurity. The workshop also focused on how imposter syndrome can impact our leadership abilities, making us question our competence or hesitate to take on leadership roles. We learned strategies to manage these feelings, recognizing that while the "Unreliable Narrator" might never fully go away, we can still overcome its influence and confidently lead.
Future Proofing Your Organization
As an E-Board Member of the brand new student organization, IC Performing Arts Collective, I thought it was essential to attend the Leading at IC workshop titled "Future Proofing Your Organization." Since our organization is still in its early stages, I wanted to gain valuable insights on how to ensure its long-term success. In this workshop, we focused on how each member of the E-Board has designated tasks and responsibilities that contribute to the overall growth and stability of the group. One of the key takeaways was how to effectively pass on E-Board roles to new members as the organization evolves. We discussed strategies for creating clear systems for transitions, ensuring continuity, and empowering future leaders to take charge.
Fall 2024
Getting Better Sleep
The very first SLI session I attended this semester was titled “Getting Better Sleep,” which I found to be a particularly useful topic as a new college student. Led by Michelle Goode and Kayla Katsman, we discussed the common causes of sleep deprivation among college students. After agreeing that workload, social activities, and environmental changes were major contributors, we were given a variety of strategies to improve our sleep. Tactics like reducing blue light exposure, making dorms feel more like home, and limiting food consumption before bed were suggested, and since the session, I have incorporated them into my nighttime routine.
Procrastination Prevention
The "Procrastination Prevention" SLI session I attended provided tips on avoiding procrastination through a creative and easy-to-remember metaphor. Using the five Power Rangers as a visual example, we focused on the CAHMM acronym, which stood for Clarity, Agency, Habits, Mindset, and Mission. Jessica Santiago, the speaker, encouraged us to focus on how overcoming procrastination can help us achieve our future goals as a source of motivation. We then wrote down small goals for the next few months, as well as bigger life goals, to remind ourselves of what we are working toward.
Self-Help
The SLI session titled "Self Talk" asked us to reflect deeply and share moments when our internal thoughts had been unkind. As a group, we discussed ways to rewrite those negative narratives in less self-deprecating and hurtful ways. We found that people often place unnecessary blame on themselves and that we are often our own worst critics. We also agreed that while changing your internal narrative is easier said than done, it takes strength and practice to transform negative self-talk into something positive.