SOAR - Student Experience Office - Carleton University

SOAR Student Leadership Conference
Keynote Speaker
What is SOAR?
1. Accessibility
More Information

SOAR Student Leadership Conference

Saturday, February 1, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Location: Richcraft Hall

Each year, this one-day conference at Carleton provides opportunities for student attendees to practice and reflect on their leadership skills with a keynote speaker, Carleton alumni, and fellow student leaders. This year’s programming will be held in-person and feature a networking lunch, complimentary headshots, and more.

Keynote Speaker

We are proud to announce Waneek Horn-Miller will provide the keynote address for SOAR 2025!

Similar to the arduous process of making wampum beads, the journey of Waneek Horn-Miller doesn’t begin and end with being an Olympic Water Polo athlete. A Mohawk from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal, Waneek was behind the lines during the Oka crisis in 1990 when she was stabbed by a Canadian soldier’s bayonet. It was a near-death experience that marked a turning point in her life. Waneek has overcome discrimination and violence to emerge as one of North America’s most inspiring female Indigenous speakers with a compelling perspective and dynamic stories to share.

More About Waneek

Waneek is focused on bridging the gap and repairing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. While she recently stepped down from her role as for the MMIWG Inquiry to focus on her family, she continues support the goal of the Inquiry and advocates on Indigenous issues in other ways to help build healthy and prosperous communities. Waneek is an advocate for building Indigenous sport and has worked with the Assembly of First Nations to develop their sport, fitness and health strategy. Drawing on her experiences as the former co-captain of Canada’s Olympic women’s water polo team, Waneek shares her story and teaches how to build self-esteem through a balance of education and sport. Waneek travels extensively from border to border, speaking to Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences on issues of reconciliation, sport and why it is important we must all strive for our dreams.

Waneek currently works with Indigenous Financial Solutions helping their mandate of supporting economic and financial wellbeing in Indigenous is communities. She is also completing a Masters of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia where she is studying the impacts and strengths of Indigenous motivation. Waneek also served as one of the coaches on the first season of CBC’s reality competition series, Canada’s Ultimate Challenge.

As one of Canada’s few Indigenous Olympians, Waneek has used her unique experiences in life and sport combined with a passion for her culture to influence Indigenous and non-Indigenous leadership in sport and wellness, Indigenous business, women in business and community building. The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Recently named her one of Canada’s most influential women in sport. “If we want reconciliation, for ourselves and our children, we need to have hard conversations, build common ground, and really listen to each other.”

What is SOAR?

The SOAR Student Leadership Conference is an annual conference for student leaders at Carleton University. At SOAR, attendees are challenged and inspired to develop their leadership skills through informative and interactive workshops and presentations. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a Networking Lunch where they will learn more about leadership opportunities in the Ottawa and Carleton community.

SOAR provides delegates with many unique opportunities. Participants in the conference will be able to:

Challenge themselves in new and meaningful ways outside of the classroom
Learn how to be an effective leader
Understand foundations and theories about leadership and their potential as a leader
Enhance their personal philosophy of leadership
Attend workshops on a variety of trends and topics, delivered by engaging speakers
Engage with a well-known keynote speaker
Receive a free headshot
Gain valuable experience that can be added to students’ Co-Curricular Record

Past Keynote Speakers

Past keynote speakers for the conference have included:

Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Sarain Fox
Andre De Grasse
Martin Luther King III
Tessa Virtue
Spencer West
Col. Chris Hadfield
Arlene Dickinson
Craig Kielburger
Neil Pasricha

Accessibility

Icon indicating food and drink provided Icon indicating there are costs less than $20 Icon indicating engagement expectations Icon indicating large crowds Icon indicating Live Questions and Answers

The accessibility icon toolkit was created in partnership and consultation with the Paul Menton Centre to provide indicators to allow students to navigate events more effectively.

Photos and/or video will be taken at this event.

More Information

For more information regarding the SOAR Student Leadership Conference, please e-mail Pauline Phelan at leadership@carleton.ca

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