Galloway, N.J. – With a renewed energy for enriching student experience in higher education, the Cultural Engagement Osprey (CEO) program returned for its third annual Empowered Leadership Conference on Friday, April 4.

The conference, which included a panel discussion, keynote presentation, multiple concurrent workshops and an awards ceremony, was designed, marketed and executed by this year’s CEO interns, who were selected in an application process that required good academic standing and a commitment to professional development and service-learning activities. 

According to Ana Edmondson, the founder of the CEO program, the conference was designed to empower the students in charge of leading the conference and the students, some from area institutions external to Stockton, participating in the day-long event.

The CEO interns develop their skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and team building, and learn about concepts like inclusion and equity through participating in weekly professional development and educational activities, collaborating in their committees and reflecting on their lessons weekly.

“The interns become equipped and empowered to lead the conference and, in turn, become prepared to go into any interview thereafter,” Edmondson said. “All aspects of the internship stretch and sharpen their talents to the point they feel prepared on the day of the conference to serve the people and speak in public.”

Edmondson also said she hoped the participants who attended the conference left feeling “empowered to lead in spaces and build their brand.”

“We see students who want to be a CEO intern the next year. I saw one student follow me on LinkedIn that same day, who activated her account when she left the conference because of the tip she received during the morning panel,” she said. 

For Social Work major Lisa Hernandez and Environmental Science major Chance Brown, the conference introduced them to on-campus resources in a new and unique way.

“The CEO leadership conference has shown me the different opportunities that Stockton has on campus and the cultural diversity that we all have, and that we can come together as a student body and share our differences,” said Hernandez, of Laurel Springs.

“I think the program is definitely a very informative one with a lot of useful resources on networking and advancing your career,” said Brown, of Pleasantville. “Overall, I'm just having a great time getting to explore all of the resources here at my disposal.”

Following the welcome exhibit, the Hallway of Empowerment, and a lively Barbie-themed performance by the Galloway Township Middle School Step Team, was a dynamic panel discussion in which faculty and staff discussed how higher education empowers students to become the next generation of leaders.  

The panelists – which included Netesha Peterson (Career Education & Development), Esther Lawrence and Tara Marsh (School of Business), Lauren Balasco (School of Social & Behavioral Sciences) and Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez (Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center) – encouraged students to seek out mentors who will inspire them to develop both personally and professionally. 

Shedia Laguer, manager of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, then delivered this year’s keynote speech. 

In her speech, the alumna of Stockton’s Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership program shared her happiest moments and biggest accomplishments, including becoming the first person in her family to earn a doctorate degree while navigating marriage, having her daughter and maintaining her community both on and off campus. 

Laguer was also candid about how she contended with the challenges she faced in her life, sharing a story in which she disobeyed her mother and dove into the deep end of a hotel pool. After flailing in the water, the then 4-year-old stopped fighting before being eventually rescued.

“I was committed to drowning, essentially, rather than facing the wrath of my mother and acknowledging the very big mistake I made,” Laguer said. “I share this story with you, to my shame, because I recognize that my story is really our story. There are times in our lives when we’re in over our heads in our drowning moment, where we feel that the skills that we have in front of us are not enough to get us where we want to be.

“We can share our moments of fear or of feeling overwhelmed, but don’t do what I did in that moment. Don’t commit to your current circumstances where you feel like you’re drowning. Use it as an opportunity to grow and develop and think about how you can use your present circumstances to overcome,” Laguer continued. 

Her forthrightness in sharing her journey resonated with the audience, according to Exercise Science major Shamaya Simola of Atco.

"I truly enjoyed everything she had to say. She was very insightful, and her experiences were a good learning tool for me,” shared Simola.

After an interactive lunch that connected participants to on-campus resources, conference attendees had a choice between six concurrent breakout sessions, each with a distinct topic. These topics included discovering one’s inner power, the importance of accessibility, navigating invisible challenges, techniques for approaching unfamiliar situations, exploring mental health and coping strategies and developing one’s personal and professional brand.

The conference concluded with an awards ceremony held in the Campus Center Event Room, recognizing various members of the Stockton community. One by one, recipients were called up to accept their reward and praise for going above and beyond in their roles as a student leader, organization and faculty/staff member.

– Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos by Susan Allen

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