The Canadian Conference on Student Leadership (CCSL) was held in Winnipeg from November 19th to 21st. CCSL was attended by over 100 student leaders from 18+ universities from all over Canada. The conference schedule was comprised of workshops conducted by students and professionals, keynotes by Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann and Benjamin O’Keefe, and a tour of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
CCSL has given me the opportunity to connect with student leaders from all over the Canada and has allowed me to discuss with others the different notions of leadership. I have learned many lessons regarding the practices and initiatives that other universities have taken to improve their student experiences. The key things that I have learned about leadership are:
- Leadership is not about you; it is about the follower.
- Leadership is not a position, but it is actions.
The conference taught me various practices on how to be a great leader. I now understand what it means to “press play” and take action. “Press play” is a mindset that student leaders have a lot of potential to stand for what they believe in, and they can make a change in the world through their actions. CCSL made me think outside the box and see things from different perspectives. I believe that the lessons will help me be a better leader not only at SFU but also in the community as a whole.
Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, Director of Indigenous Education at Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, in her keynote talked about the importance of defining yourself. She put forwarded four questions for self-reflection: “Who am I? What am I doing? Where do I come from? What are my responsibilities?” She explained that through defining yourself, you set vision and values that will help guide your decision-making process and will help establish how your team members perceive you.
Benjamin O’Keefe, Politcal Correspondent at MTV known as a “Champion for the Voiceless”, spoke about importance of the setting goals in life and the steps to achieve them. He also talked about how sometimes leadership is not easy, and you have to face many challenges. He shared with us his personal stories of struggles. Before the age of twenty, he started a global movement against the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch and their size-based discrimination. O’Keefe’s actions inspired some of the largest clothing and beauty companies in the world to launch body-positive campaigns.
The Canadian Conference on Student Leadership is one of the best experiences of my time as a student leader at SFU. The conference has not only given me a platform to network with other student leaders but the opportunity to learn and grow as an individual. The core take away that I got from the conference was that “students united can never be defeated”.
Ali is a 3rd year student, pursuing Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Currently, he is working on a co-op term with Small Business BC and is an elected Senator. He likes to assist others to overcome the challenges that they face because he believe that: “Life is not measured by the number of days you live, but the number of lives you inspired, so be someone’s inspiration.” He has volunteered more than 2000 hours with 25+ organizations in Canada and Pakistan and has mentored 100+ students at Simon Fraser University in different facets.