Conference Schedule

Registration for the SOAR Student Leadership Conference will open at 8:30 AM. Registration tables will be set up in the Richcraft Hall Atrium where you will receive a name badge, lanyard, and personal copy of the conference schedule.

Leadership Blitz

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Location: Richcraft Hall 2200

Description: Learn a little bit about what the schedule for the day looks like and hear from three Carleton Student Leaders as they describe what leadership means to them in our annual Student Leadership Blitz.

Keynote Presentation

9:30 AM – 10:15 AM

Location: Richcraft Hall 2200

Description:
Sarain Fox – Keynote Presenter

Exploring the Role of Confidence in Authentic Leadership (Expert Speaker Series)

Presenter Name: Keenan Reynolds

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Expert Speaker Bio:

Keenan came to Carleton University in 2019 as a recruit of the men’s varsity hockey team after finishing a 5-year junior hockey career at both the OHL and Junior A levels and chose to study political science on a full academic scholarship.

Upon his graduation from Carleton, where he was awarded a Senate Medal for outstanding academic achievement, Keenan was accepted into the prestigious Smith Graduate Diploma in Business (GDB) program at Queen’s University. He is the founder and president of his own hockey media agency called Spotlight Sports Media, which will be the first of its kind in the Eastern Ontario area. Keenan is also an assistant coach for the Nepean Raiders’ Jr. A and U18AAA teams, and recently became one of the youngest assistant coaches to record a win in CCHL history, at just 24 years of age.

Description:

Through group conversations and discussions, this presentation will demonstrate how vital confidence is in developing authentic, transformational leadership abilities. Delegates will have the chance to attempt to define leadership, will be asked to provide anecdotal examples of authentic leadership, and will conclude the session by curating a list of traits that they deem correspond to their authentic leadership style to help orient their confidence in times of adversity.

How Your Values Can Inform Your Leadership (Expert Speaker Series) 

Presenter Name: Rebecca Wilson

Location: Richcraft Hall 3202

Expert Speaker Bio: 

Rebecca Wilson is a skillful and compassionate leadership coach and facilitator. She empowers her clients to courageously question the status quo and unlock potential in themselves, their teams and their organizations. She loves working with purpose-driven leaders who are devoted to using their unique talents to have a positive impact on the world around them.

Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration and Project Management Professional designation. She is also an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher.

Rebecca has over 10 years of experience in strategy consulting, leadership development, facilitation and coaching. Most recently, she has held the roles of Senior Director at RCGT Consulting and Director of Strategy and Transformation at Perley Health.

Rebecca founded Arborvida, a boutique leadership coaching firm. As an Executive Coach and Facilitator, Rebecca empowers leaders with the insight and tools necessary to elevate their self-awareness, presence and impact.

Description: 

What matters most to you?
How can ensure you’re leading in a way that honours that?

This experiential session will invite participants to reflect on their personal values. Participants will be guided through a self-reflective exercise to identify their individual core values. They will then explore how these values can manifest in their own authentic leadership style.

Participants will leave with a vision for their unique approach to values-aligned leadership. This can serve as a valuable inner compass as they move forward in their leadership journeys.

Participants will also receive a printable workbook to support them in transforming their insights into aligned actions moving forward.

How to Articulate Your Leadership Skills to Employers

Presenter Names: Stacey-Ann Morris and Natalie Pinto

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

As a student leader, you have developed leadership skills during your journey at Carleton.Your leadership skills are transferable and highly needed for today’s workforce.

The magic is being able to articulate your skills and experience succinctly and effectively to an employer.
In this interactive workshop, Career Services will help you reflect, identify and articulate your leadership skills.

You will leave the workshop with a stronger understanding of how to write strong accomplishment statements, which can be used for a resume, cover letter, and interviews.

A Closer Look: Dispositions of Community-Engaged Learning 

Presenter Names: Chantal Trudel and Rebecca Drodge

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

Community-engaged leadership is grounded in dispositions. Dispositions can be described as qualities of mind and character, and are attributes of being that don’t happen overnight, but rather, are fostered internally and externally. So, what do we mean by ‘dispositions’ when we talk about engaging with communities to effect positive societal change? What might that look like, what’s involved, and how might we reflect on and develop dispositions towards engaging and supporting our communities better?

How we are ‘dispositioned’ towards community engagement is influenced by a variety of experiences – perhaps we see service to community as completing hours to meet academic requirements, or alternatively, perhaps we’re motivated by a deep, personal experience. These are concrete examples of experiences and dispositions that we need to reflect on if we are to become authentic leaders in community engagement.

Finding Yourself As a Leader

Presenter Name: Anshika Srivastava

Location: Richcraft Hall 3220

Description:

One of the best things about the world we are building is the freedom to challenge and defy norms and traditional definitions. While our generation continues to lead the movement of defying and defining the society we live in, we have also started moving away from the notion of leaders being of one type.

Leadership exists everywhere, in every person, in one way or another. Leaders are those who organize the entire play to let others take the center stage, leaders are those who work with the aim of making others succeed, and leaders are also those who root for you to find the leader in you!

Leadership, much like people, is like a box of chocolates, they are not all the same and you never know what you will get.

Leading with Humility 

Presenter Name: Kassidy Hammond

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description:

Leadership is known as the act of leading a group towards a common collection of goals. For many student leaders and prospective student leaders alike, this definition can be considered unclear, unhelpful, and daunting. What does it mean to develop a leadership philosophy, and how does humility play a part? This session covers the importance of humility amongst other leadership values and guides participants through the beginnings of establishing their personal leadership philosophy. The session is hosted by Kassidy Hammond, president of Carleton’s Mechanical and Aerospace Society (CMAS). She touches on her experiences with incorporating empathy, maintaining values, and the importance of humility in a traditionally male-dominated field.

The First Step: How to Start Your Leadership Journey

Presenter Names: Aurora Tracy and Raven Miller

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

Do you want to become a leader, but find yourself wondering where to start? How to succeed? If you will be a good leader? The answer is simple, start here! Join 2 current student leaders to learn about how to seek out leadership opportunities, how to succeed in a leadership position, and how you can start your own leadership journey. We are the leaders of tomorrow and there is no better time to start shaping the future than now!

Location: Richcraft Hall Atrium and Conference Rooms

Description: Join us for our Networking Lunch where delegates will have the opportunity to engage with speakers, learn about leadership opportunities in the Carleton and Ottawa area and receive a professional headshot. Lunch will be provided.

Lessons Learned from National 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy (Expert Speaker Series)

Presenter Names: Debbie Owusu-Akeeyah

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Expert Speaker Bio:

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is an award-winning Black feminist activist with over 8 years of local and international advocacy experience through various initiatives in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and through working at Oxfam Canada and Global Affairs Canada. She became the Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) in July 2020. The CCGSD is a youth-focused organization that promotes diversity in gender identity, gender expression, and romantic/sexual orientation in all its forms on a national level through services in the areas of education and advocacy.

Description:

In this education session, delegates will hear a summary of the presenter’s experience as a student leader, campaigner, and bureaucrat and how it all informed her current work in government relations and lobbying on 2SLGBTQ+ issues.

Students will then engage in a discussion on how to build strong campaigns and influencing strategy through a “theory of change”. They will engage in a self-reflective discussion on how their current student-leader experience will prepare them to be strong advocates to influence decision-making at all levels of government. We will then conclude with the presenter providing tips and advice to students on how to build solidarity and a strong student movement.

Discovering Leadership Styles and Their Impact

Presenter Names: Nathaniel Behar

Location: Richcraft Hall 3202

Expert Speaker Bio: 

Nate Behar is a six-year veteran of the CFL entering his fourth season with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2023. Off the field, he is the Founder of a technology-based startup, FireWork, that helps athletes secure brand sponsorships. In his spare time, Nate is active in discussing social issues as a writer, poet, and speaker, having been published and appeared on CBC, Maclean’s, Toronto Star, and more.

Description: 

Through engaging in conversation, we will journey to discover our own leadership styles and what impact they have on our personal and professional relationships and opportunities. By reflecting on our own experiences we will discuss how different leadership styles have shaped our experiences and formed our own perspectives.

Examining leadership through the lens of athletics, business, social and more we will reframe leadership as a skill that we can all work to hone and refine. This approach to our own personal development as a leader will allow for growth and opportunities in new ways as we each become more comfortable leading in our own unique way and holding space for those that need it.

Leading Through an Intersectional Lens

Presenter Names: Kristina Epifano and Nathan Zalfaquaruddin

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

“Inclusive leadership is not a destination. It’s a journey that requires humility, curiosity, and courage.” – Thais Compoint

In this workshop, attendees will be able to reflect on their intersecting identities and positionality in relation to others and the work they do. Through reflection and facilitated discussion, attendees will be able to assess their own areas of privilege and lived experience to apply more inclusive leadership practices. This foundational workshop is welcome to all who want to look inward to see how they can better themselves as leaders.

“Never Gunna Not Dance Again”: Finding Your Passion Through Creative Flow

Presenter Name: Halli Florence

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

How do you learn best? Who or what inspires you? What are you passionate about? Do you find that with managing your time, you are more susceptible to burnout and lose motivation for your passions? In this arts-based presentation, we will hone in on your unique leadership style by promoting creative flow. Come and meet others who share the same barriers in such a fast-paced and ever-changing society. Find other artistic leaders like yourself who are trying to stay motivated and manage their time while studying at Carleton.

Rooted and Fruitful: Growing to Thrive as Leaders

Presenter Names: Ariella Nyanga and Ellie Ng

Location: Richcraft Hall 3220

Description:

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with responsibilities and expectations in leadership? Does this feeling leave you wondering what support is available for you as a leader supporting other students? In this session, you will be equipped with practical ways to stay grounded and focused on your vision, while understanding what leadership looks like in the context of community.

Overcoming Barriers as a Racialized Leader

Presenter Names: Jennice Hinds and Isabella Mallon

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description:

Despite the growing presence of racialized people in leadership positions, there are still challenges they face when in these environments.  Through facilitated conversation and discussion, delegates will discover different barriers racialized leaders face when in a leadership position and learn how to break down these barriers and create change.

Can You Hear Me? – The Importance of Listening in Leadership

Presenter Name: Jade Stanford

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

Do you listen to understand others, or to respond? Listening is one of the most effective tools a leader can use in fostering community and taking positive action. Through activities and information, this session will help you evaluate your own listening skills and empower you to become a better listener in all of your conversations with others.

Talking About Your Secret Superpower (Expert Speaker Series)

Presenter Names: Alana Dunbar

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Expert Speaker Bio:

Based in Toronto, Alana Dunbar is the Director of Philanthropy with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), a national charity that inspires belonging and inclusion and encourages active citizenship for Canada’s newcomers.

A passionate intersectional post-colonial feminist and Africanist, she holds a Master of Arts in English Literature and Language with a specialization in African Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and African Studies from Carleton University and became a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) in 2022.

In her previous work, Alana fostered respect for diversity with the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, organized enhanced citizenship ceremonies across Canada to celebrate new Canadians, and worked to further national financial literacy in Malawi and at a creative agency engaging youth in sexual health education in Tanzania. Along with a few “side gigs”, like coaching axe throwing and managing communications for a cosmetic acupuncturist on Bay Street and professional baking.

Description:

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to identify and talk about your secret superpower with the hope of unlocking your inner confidence. Imposter syndrome (or even just under-estimating yourself) as you navigate university and into your summer jobs and career can be a lot to manage – if you let it, it can swallow you up – let’s practice talking about your transferable skills and what your secret superpowers are. We all need a reminder of what we’re good at, how to talk about what we’re good at, and how to explain our experience to new people. This session will be practical, helpful, empowering, and focused on your future and effective skill translation. Let’s set you up for that dream summer job interview and talk with your family about your future!

Engaging the Community in an Accessible Way

Presenter Names: Joelle Lui, Emilie Cryderman, Alex Revell and Kim Chiasson

Location: Richcraft Hall 3204

Description:

Accessibility should be the standard, and how to create a safe(r) space for people with and without disabilities. Students will learn how to implement an accessibility mindset when participating in community engagement, how to be a better ally and the importance of accessibility within the community. Additionally, students will receive guides and resources that can be referred back to at a later date regarding general accessibility etiquette, events, language, etc.

Finding Your Community: How to Make the Most Out of Your University Experience

Presenter Names: Chiara Webb and Brooklyn Rawlings

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

What is Community? How do you find your community in a “post-pandemic” world? You may find yourself asking these questions as we begin to transition back to in-person programs, classes, and social activities. It can be difficult to navigate the co-curricular side of university and find meaningful connections that contribute to your personal, professional and/or academic life. Join us as we explore what it means to be a part of a community, how to go about finding yours both inside and outside Carleton, and how to recharge your social battery to make the most out of your university experience.

Community Leadership Through Volunteering

Presenter Names: Heather Taylor and Jezreel Morales

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

Experiential learning gives us a great opportunity to really showcase our new team’s creativity and energy. We will be leading the participants through a discussion and exercise focused on leading through skilled volunteerism, thus encouraging participants to reflect on their skills, how they view themselves, what skills they have and where they’d like to go, followed by a presentation on how volunteering can get them there/what volunteer opportunities are available.

The Pathway from Adversity to Creating Impact: A Talk About Empathy, Memoriam and Striving for Change

Presenter Names: Caitlin Bauer, Alexandra Tassoni and Lane Haugen

Location: Richcraft Hall 3220

Description:

What motivates you to spark change in your community? For some, a loss can be a powerful motivator to create an impact. This can be achieved through the ideals of empathy, memoriam, and striving to change the future. By recognizing and channeling those emotions we are able to spark change. Join Carleton’s Relay for Life co-chairs as they explore how the power of emotion and empathy can be used as tools to spark change in your community.

Public Leadership 101: Growing Carleton’s Next Student Leaders

Presenter Names: Anastasia Stoikos-Lettieri and Jordan Vecchio

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description: 

Are you the future of public leadership? If the answer is yes, this is the perfect session for you! Public Leadership 101 is designed to transform students into confident, strategic, and resilient leaders, on and off campus. This session is specifically tailored to help develop leaders in the public sector, and who better to help guide you than the CUSA President and Longest Serving CUSA Councillor? Public leadership includes community involvement, public service, advocacy work, and corporate or executive skills. If you are curious about the skills it takes to thrive in the public leadership space, the opportunities available to begin your leadership path, and how to be an effective public leader, this is a tremendous place to start! Join us as we grow the next generation of public leaders at Carleton!

From Passion to Project: Exploring and Creating Opportunities

Presenter Names: Mira Gillis and Katelyn Madigan

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

Join us to learn how to turn your passions into opportunities. You’ll be able to reflect on your core interests, what type of leader you want to become, and how to discover and create opportunities for yourself to fulfil your goals and help others. Dedication and perseverance yield great results – let us teach you how to get there!

Closing Ceremonies

2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Location: Richcraft Hall 2200
Description: Join us to wrap up SOAR 2023! We will be announcing our SOAR 2023 prize winners and presenting our Student Life Awards.