Kwantlen students ‘Make Their Mark' at the fourth annual student leadership conference

Mon, Feb 6, 2012

Kwantlen's Surrey campus was host to the fourth annual Kwantlen Polytechnic University Student Leadership Conference on January 28 which included a pre-conference reception on January 27.

The reception featured Tracy Redies, president and ceo of Coast Capital Savings. Redies spoke about her path and experience in business leadership, noting the importance of community contribution and supporting people's overall development rather than simply job performance.

The conference theme, ‘Make Your Mark' provided students with a variety of workshops and networking opportunities. Overall, Kwantlen students and alumni found the workshops and event to be very valuable.

"I was able to network and as a result obtain some great contacts," exclaimed Luca Patrk, Kwantlen alumnus. "It was also motivational and inspirational knowing that I could be that influential in the near future."

Third year Criminology student Nick Harvey was very appreciative of what the Student Leadership Conference offered. "After attending I was 'pumped' to get back to work on my academics and various projects around Kwantlen," commented Harvey. "I'm proud to wear KPU as a badge of honor."

The conference ended with a captivating message from the closing keynote speaker, Olympic gold medalist Adam Kreek, where he challenged everyone in attendance to "Be a Catalyst for Change". Kreek relayed his personal experiences as a member of the Canadian men's eight rowing team to demonstrate how both leadership and success are driven by the combination of high performance, a strong work ethic and giving back to your community.

Kreek expressed his opinions on the conference: "I was impressed with the energy and drive of the attendees of the Kwantlen Leadership Conference. These are people you want to associate with. They will be successful after they graduate."

The Student Leadership Conference is a key event for the Student Leadership and Development department at Kwantlen. The conference relies heavily on the commitment and hard work of students who volunteer their time on the Conference Planning committee. This planning committee has been working on the leadership conference since the spring of 2011. Their vision helped shape the development of the program, choice of keynotes, workshops and design of the event.

"We are very proud of the students on this year's Planning Committee," stated Kurt Penner, student leadership and development faculty. "They really stepped up in planning and delivering a top-notch event, evolving the conference as a growing tradition of leadership excellence."

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region for more than 30 years, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts and science, design, health, trades and technology, apprenticeships, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 17,500 students annually have a choice from over 200 programs, including bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations.

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