For students looking to jump-start their campus experience and gain leadership skills, the Emerging Leaders Summit might be the right fit.
ELS is an overnight workshop designed to help first-year and transfer students explore and develop their leadership skills. As a program in its fourth year, ELS has helped students gain access to leadership positions such as student organization presidents, orientation team members and resident assistants.
Randy Flowers, assistant director of student life, is the adviser to ELS this year. Flowers recommended the program to anyone looking to find their direction at Baker University or anyone feeling overwhelmed by college. Flowers said the program is also good for students still “getting acclimated” to campus.
Flowers advised students who are on the fence about attending ELS to still participate.
“If you’re not sure, you need to,” he said. “You only live this experience once.”
Graduates of ELS encourage freshmen and transfer students to register and attend.
Sophomore Liz Louden, who attend ELS last year, said she was already generally involved, but ELS helped her recognize other students who were also interested and willing to get involved.
“It’s a great resume booster,” Louden said.
Senior Milan Piva decided to attend ELS her freshman year because of the leadership skills she would learn and use for the rest of her time at Baker.
“It was an innovative program,” Piva said. “We were the first class to go through.”
Piva recommended that students attend ELS because it is a day-long program and there is not much to lose by attending. Both Piva and Louden said they would attend again if given the chance.
Flowers said he has never heard students express regret about attending, but he has heard from students who regret not going when they had the chance.
The program is run by upperclassmen who have been through ELS themselves. The student facilitators lead the participants in small group activities designed to teach students about their individual leadership styles, establish values and respect, as well as develop teamwork. The steering committee, chosen last year, is in charge of marketing, recruitment and programming for ELS.
ELS is free for all participants. The overnight program will be Nov. 2-3 at Camp Chippewa in Ottawa. Meals, lodging and a t-shirt are provided. There are only 30-40 spots available, so interested students should submit their registration soon.
Registration ends Oct. 10, and applications are available online.