CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Former president of the STEM Club and current co-president of the HOLA Club, Daniela Fernandez, understands the value of leadership skills — an area she continued to develop this past August as an attendee at the Summer Leadership Conference (SLC) at University Park.
Fernandez was one of 13 students from Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) who attended the weeklong seminar that was designed for current and aspiring student leaders across the Penn State Commonwealth Campus network to connect, learn and participate in team-building workshops to strengthen their personal leadership skills. D’Andre Miller, director of student affairs and Pam Fleck, assistant director of student affairs accompanied the group of PSU-LV students to the University Park event.
The goal of the SLC is to provide a challenging and motivating experience to empower emerging and established student leaders from across the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses.
“I look forward to the conference every year because of the value it gives to the students who attend,” said Fleck.
Cybersecurity major, Asad Choudhry, who works in the Student Affairs office and serves as the president of Art Club, thought the conference would be a great skill builder.
“The first goal I had was to learn how to run the club better,” said Choudhry. “Since I’ll be working under the Student Affairs office, I thought the conference would help me create a stronger leadership presence on campus. I gained a lot of resources to do just that — and now I have to put them into practice.”
Throughout the week, students were placed in discovery groups — comprised of diverse peers and a facilitator — that provided a space to network, share ideas and explore different perspectives on effective leadership. They also took part in a mix of lectures and activity-based workshops, where they learned strategies for developing leadership skills while building connections with fellow students and Penn State staff.
Fernandez said her biggest takeaway was learning to lead with empathy.
“I learned leadership is about serving others — trusting, listening and empowering others. It’s about being a role model, not just being in charge.”
Miller said his first SLC was an incredible experience.
“I had the opportunity to further connect not only with our PSU-LV student leaders, but also with students and professionals across the Penn State system," he said. "The conversations were meaningful and the energy behind belonging to the greater Penn State family was something I did not expect to impact me as much as it did.”
Miller shared that the students’ experiences left a lasting impression on him.
“Timmy Cheng said he wished the conference had been five days long because he got so much out of it and did not want it to end. Amanda Voltaire, who did not originally picture herself in leadership, left with an open mind about taking on new roles and responsibilities. Seeing that kind of growth and excitement made the conference especially rewarding," Cheng said.
The Student Leadership Conference (SLC) is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to identify effective leadership styles and build confidence in assuming leadership roles.
“As a first-time professional attending this event, I could not have asked for a better introduction. I walked away with new insights, stronger connections, and a renewed appreciation for what student leadership can do,” Miller said. “Most importantly, I watched our students challenge themselves, build confidence and find their voices.”