Conference - by Svetlana Chakheeva

Being an active member of Phi Theta Kappa is a great opportunity for personal growth. The past October, an International Honors society, PTK, provided an amazing chance to develop and strengthen leadership skills by organizing a 3-day New York Region Leadership Conference at Borough of Manhattan Community College exclusively for its active members. I also had the privilege to attend the incredible conference and to obtain this unforgettable experience.

I was so excited to be part of the event and just as I expected it was an action-packed and informative weekend! It brought together students and leaders from diverse backgrounds and was full of team building exercises, leadership training, and a lot of fun. The conference included four great workshops: Team Building/Collaboration, Hallmark Writing, Five-Star Chapter Development and Transferring. They were really inspiring. Each workshop, in its own way, was intended on expanding our leadership potential and to help us grow personally and professionally. As well as they familiarized us on how to motivate other students in pursuing their studies and obtaining their degree. We played group games, were engaged in discussions and did group presentations. One of the best things about the conference was the opportunity to trade ideas with other students, brainstorm together, and take away specific ideas that will work in specific situation.

Besides breaking down our leadership barriers, and helping us to adopt leadership as a way of life, there were other pleasant moments, which we could enjoy. During the event we also could enjoy a delicious free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Besides that we played raffle and some students had and an opportunity to win different prizes, such as beautiful t-shirts, cups, thermos bottles and many others! During a few hours break on Saturday we also all took a walk to a Brooklyn bridge and made a lot of pictures. Later in the evening we could enjoy listening to a comedian.

Overall, it was excellent opportunity for networking. It was great to meet new friends and make connections!

I never guessed that the three days of the conference would be one of the most enriching experiences in my college life. I learned a lot and I was invigorated and motivated by what I heard. I left the conference with an increased confidence, an understanding of the resources available to me, with understanding what is a leader and how can I help and motivate other fellow students. And I believe those skills can be applicable not only in college life but also in families, job settings and our communities. It was an experience in which every interaction felt important and meaningful, and because of this, I feel grateful to PTK that I was able to attend.