Elevate your leadership style.
This conference is a unique opportunity for student leaders from across WSU and the Pacific Northwest to meet each other. Expect inspiring speakers and workshops designed to help you become a better leader on campus and in your communities. Curious what you'll learn? Meet your Keynote speakers below!
Students will learn about some of the most impactful styles to lead and walk away discovering which style fits them best as well as craft an action plan for implementing it into their school year and areas of involvement.
Latest Event
Date: October 4, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location: The Spark
Lunch: Provided
Cost: Free for all WSU Pullman & WSU Global Students. $25 for WSU Everett, WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, and WSU Vancouver. $40 for all non-WSU institutions.
Fall '25 Keynotes
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Building Bridges: Navigating Civil Discourse and Difficult Conversations.
In this powerful keynote, Eboné Bell equips audiences with the tools to engage in meaningful, respectful dialogue, especially when conversations are tough. Centered on allyship, empathy, and active listening, the session introduces a three-step process for navigating difficult conversations and a four-step framework for resolving conflict.
Participants will:
- Learn principles of civil discourse and inclusive communication.
- Practice empathetic listening and perspective-taking.
- Gain actionable strategies for fostering inclusive, respectful environments.
- Apply real-world solutions through interactive post-workshop activities.
This keynote is ideal for anyone seeking to become a more effective communicator and inclusive leader in today’s diverse world.
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Be a Leader You Would Follow
In this thought-provoking keynote, Corey Ciocchetti challenges conventional leadership training by shifting the focus from buzzwords and theories to what truly matters: values and character. With warmth and clarity, Corey explores the foundational traits that define ethical and practical leadership, courage, compassion, honesty, fairness, and loyalty.
Rather than asking how to lead, Corey asks a deeper question: Would you follow someone like yourself? Through this lens, he guides audiences to reflect on their character and the kind of leader they aspire to be.
Participants will:
- Learn the five essential character traits of strong, ethical leaders
- Understand how values-based leadership creates trust and influence
- Reflect on personal growth and the impact of everyday choices
- Leave inspired to lead with integrity, empathy, and purpose
This keynote resonates with professionals and students alike. It offers a refreshing and practical approach to leadership that goes beyond titles because the best leaders are those who lead with character.
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Workshops
Workshops
The Leadership of "We" - Ebone Bell
This program is designed to empower participants to enhance their knowledge and skills needed to embrace intentional leadership and positively impact their campus community. But most importantly, it serves as a reminder that intentional leadership extends beyond individual efforts and encompasses the collective leadership of all. It acknowledges that while leadership begins from within, it is not solely about “me” but rather about the leadership of “we.” Because when WE level up, we all feel empowered.
Tools of Leadership: What Do We Do With Fear? - Judy Hopkins
As student leaders, we know how important it is to support one another and recognize the impact we’re making. We’re committed to building a strong, inclusive community, but let’s be honest: sometimes it gets overwhelming. Fear creeps in. And fear has a sneaky way of holding us back from showing up as our best, most authentic selves. That’s why we’re diving into something real: how to face fear head-on and move through it with courage. Together, we’ll explore how to build a team of caring, connected leaders—people who support each other, take brave steps, and create bridges across differences. This is about growing as individuals and as a community. I’m so excited for you to join me on this journey. Let’s lead with heart, vulnerability, and boldness. Let’s do this—together.
Managing Change - Romando Nash
In today’s fast-paced world, change is constant—whether it’s shifting academic expectations, evolving career paths, or personal transitions. This workshop is designed to help students build the mindset and tools needed to navigate continual change without getting swept up in the chaos.
Leadership Across Borders - Paul Whitney
We will work through real scenarios that provide leadership challenges due to differences in expectations and assumptions across different cultures, countries, and academic disciplines to help students learn how to exercise leadership of diverse teams.
Change Your Words, Change Your World: The Leadership Power of Narrative - Andria Donnenwerth
Your words matter—more than you might think. In this interactive workshop, student leaders will explore how everyday language shapes mindset, influences team dynamics, and builds leadership identity. Through real-world examples, hands-on activities, and reflection, participants will learn how to reframe limiting narratives and replace them with empowering, purpose-driven language. Walk away with practical tools to shift your self-talk, strengthen team morale, and lead with clarity and intention—starting with your next sentence.
Intercultural Communication & Leadership - Gabriella Bedoyan
Successful leadership is not possible without cultural competence. Together, we will explore elements of cultural competency and the role they play in leadership. This will begin with an examination of self, followed by global perspectives on inclusive language, bias, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Authentic Leadership – How to Lead While Staying True to Yourself - Matt Shaw
This session will attempt to help participants address some very important questions for both current and future leaders including: Have I considered my own personality when determining my leadership style? Is my leadership style authentic to my personality? What kind of leader can I realistically be? What are my potential strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
Connections That Count: Building Your Personal Networking Plan - Haley Yamane Melhart
In this workshop, you'll explore what networking really looks like as a student and beyond the lecture halls. Learn how to create a personalized networking plan that fits your leadership style and aspirations paired with strategies that you can put into practice right away and use long after graduation.
Social Learning & Leadership - Jessica Perone
Discover how collective wisdom can drive innovation and collaboration. This interactive workshop introduces the Social Learning Leadership model, helping participants build stronger partnerships, practice inclusive problem-solving, and explore new approaches for working across disciplines and communities.
Hear from Previous Participants
This was so fun and interactive! The conference really helped me relate different leadership styles I'd heard of to how I navigate the world personally. Plus, I had fun meeting new people!
Overall, this was such an engaging and high-energy event! I appreciated the range of speakers and topics, too. I would definitely attend again.
I wasn't sure how storytelling could connect with leadership, but attending this conference allowed me to understand and correlate it with my life. Overall, it was very engaging and I liked the conversations we held with one another.
Please contact our team with questions at getinvolved@wsu.edu. Discover more programs and events by following us on Social Media or visiting our leadership opportunities webpage.