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:
Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson – Keynote Presenter

Madame Clarkson has had an astonishing life journey from a child refugee to an accomplished broadcaster, writer, public servant and Canada’s 26th Governor General, serving from 1999 until 2005. Madame Clarkson is universally acknowledged to have transformed the office during her six years at Rideau Hall and to have left an indelible mark on Canada’s history. She is the bestselling author of the 2014 CBC Massey Lectures Belonging: The Paradox of Citizenship, Heart Matters: A Memoir, Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation, and a biography of Dr. Norman Bethune. She has received numerous prestigious awards and honorary degrees in Canada and abroad. In 2005, Madame Clarkson co-founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship to help new citizens in Canada integrate into Canadian life. In 2006, she established the Clarkson Cup, the championship trophy for Women’s Hockey. Since 2007, she has been the Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Leading with Confidence: Breaking Free from Imposter Syndrome

Presenter Name: Natasha Kunchur

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Description:

Imposter syndrome (IS) is formally defined as self-doubt that arises from persistently undervaluing one’s competence and active role in achieving success, while falsely attributing one’s accomplishments to luck or other external forces. IS impacts 70-75% of the general population and is prevalent amongst individuals of varying professional statuses. Tackling IS involves a journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and embracing the uncertainty and imperfection of the human experience. Natasha will facilitate a discussion about the shared experiences of IS and how it how it can impact your trajectory as a leader.

Unlocking the Power of Transformation: From Adversity to Advocacy

Presenter Name: Tanisse Epp and Mark Barnes

Location: Richcraft Hall 3202

Description:

From being told that a university education was beyond Tanisse’s reach to battling academic setbacks and challenging addictive habits, this Education Session focuses on finding the strength to rise above many circumstances. Through Tanisse’s inspiring narrative of a resilient leader and hands-on Naloxone training by a harm-reduction hero, Mark Barnes, this session offers insights into harm reduction, resilience, and the potential for creating positive change within oneself and society.

How to Have Difficult Conversations

Presenter Name: Kassidy Hammond

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

Identifying and facilitating difficult conversations in a productive way is arguably the single biggest barrier preventing your transactional leadership style from becoming transformational. So, when do we need to have them? How do we broach that topic with our team? And what do we even say? Join Carleton Engineering President, Kassidy Hammond, for this rationalized approach to problem resolution in interpersonal relationships within a team, and beyond.

Leveraging Life Obstacles to Enhance Leadership

Presenter Name: Arleth Lugo Ruiz

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

During this Education Session, delegates will hear about the career timeline of the presenter, Arleth Lugo Ruiz, as she gives tips and advice on how to be an authentic leader, stay true to yourself, and how she leverages her non-visible disability to enhance leadership. This session includes activities to help delegates engage with inspirational quotes and identify meaning from what inspires them so they can enhance their leadership skills.

Breaking Down Barriers: Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated Community

Presenter Names: Melanie Angeli and Roberta Drummond

Location: Richcraft Hall 3220

Description:

Melanie and Roberta have over 15+ years of combined experience as female leaders in the male-dominated sport of rugby. Melanie and Roberta are both assistant coaches of the Carleton Raven’s Women’s Rugby team. Additionally, Melanie has 4+ years of experience as one of the only female presidents of a local Ottawa rugby club (the Ottawa Irish Rugby Club). Melanie and Roberta hope to discuss ways to break down barriers and / or develop confidence to either become or support a leader in an industry where one may be seen as a minority.

RePRESENT – Finding your Political Voice

Presenter Name: Aidan Kallioinen

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description:

Are you an activist? Are you passionate about your community and the issues that affect it? Do you have ideas, but don’t know how to make them a reality? This presentation will provide you the opportunity to turn your ideas into practical policy solutions, and practice transforming your activism into real advocacy. Delegates will be split into two groups and asked to find the ideas that unite them, and present those ideas in a political debate format.

Level Up Your Professional Network for Impact

Presenter Name: Shaye Belanger

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

Hear Shaye’s story of how she gained 6,000 followers on LinkedIn, her top LinkedIn tips, and how LinkedIn connects you with decision makers and future mentors. This Education Session focused on skills for professional networking in Ottawa.

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.

Life Skills 101 Presents: Leadership Lessons with Carleton Alumni

Panel Moderator: Martin Currie

Location: Richcraft Hall 2200

Description:

Join our conference’s Master of Ceremonies for a conversation with Life Skills 101 Podcast guests and Carleton Alumni about their successes and challenges to support delegates in building persistence, leadership capacity, and reflection.

Career Services Presents: Exploring Global Citizenship and Leadership Growth Through International Internships

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Description:

A group of undergraduate students with international internship experience invite delegates to a town hall about the intersection of personal growth, professional development and diversity while presenting the potential of interning abroad.

Smash that Glass Ceiling: Equipping Women to Speak Up in the Workplace

Presenter Name: Shine Soki

Location: Richcraft Hall 3202

Description:

A Harvard Business article highlighted a striking statistic: on average, men apply for jobs when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, while women only apply if they are confident that they meet 100%. This statistic reflects a broader societal climate that conditions women to downplay their ambitions. This workshop will empower women to interrogate their doubts, recognize their strengths, and develop practical skills in assertive communication and self-advocacy. This workshop challenges sexist leadership stereotypes, aiming to reshape the narrative for ambitious professional women.

How Cochlear Implant Changed My Life: What Leaders Can Do to Accommodate Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals

Presenter Name: Selena Stuckless

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

In this Education Session, Selena will share their story on how Cochlear Implants changed their life. Delegates will learn about the concept of Cochlear Implants and how they can benefit lives through the development of technology. Delegates will have an opportunity to brainstorm accommodating ways that they implement in their environment to create a more inclusive space for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Embracing the End: What Death Can Teach Us About Life

Presenter Name: Hollie Davies

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

At our unconventional yet profoundly insightful session, delegates will engage in a an opportunity that will foster open dialogue about mortality in a safe space. Employing a salon-style structure, delegates will participate in intimate discussions, sharing their thoughts, fears, and diverse perspectives while the facilitator supports these conversations. Delegates will come together to share their reflections with the larger group, prompting introspection and broadening perspectives, offering a unique opportunity for delegates to navigate an uncomfortable topic with grace.

Improv Embassy Presents: Reignite. Reconnect. Reenergize.

Location: Richcraft Hall 3220

Unique Duration: 12:30PM – 2:15PM

Description:

Learn and engage with the basics of improv to develop new skills, better collaborate, and celebrate others in the most fun way possible. Carleton alumni will lead delegates through exercises that help naturally hone collaboration, creative problem-solving to overcome challenges and move forward strategic plans, rolling with change to adapt to new developments, and innovate to move great ideas forward.

Cultivating Cultural Self-Awareness for Global Leadership

Presenter Name: Mariana Queiroz

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description:

Leading in a globalized world requires the ability to navigate culturally diverse environments. We are constantly connecting with people from various cultures and backgrounds, so it’s important to understand how to use your leadership skills to be more inclusive. Whether you are foraging connections in your local community or across continents, developing cultural self-awareness can support your growth as a global leader. But how can you develop this skill? What other skills make a global leader? Join Mariana for insights and strategies on how to become a better global leader.

Performance Management That Works: How Coaching Models Are Changing Organizational Cultures by Supporting Personal Growth and Leadership

Presenter Names: Keenan Wellar and Batoul Auf

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

As LiveWorkPlay grew from a small nonprofit with a handful of staff to our current 30 full-time employees, internal and external pressures required additional human resources and performance management. Both staff and supervisors found traditional approaches to evaluation and professional development alienating and contradictory to our culture of personal growth and leadership. Keenan and Batoul will discuss with delegates ways that adoption of a coaching model, implemented in an equitable manner for staff at all levels, can be helpful to any employee and supervisor, even within more traditional organizations and HR.

Understanding The Whole Picture: A Holistic Approach to Supporting Your Wellness

Presenter Names: Katie Ayres and Trini Nguyen

Location: Richcraft Hall 3201

Description:

Join Carleton’s Wellness Team for an interactive discussion on how supporting your wellness through a holistic lens can improve one’s leadership abilities! At times, wellness may be presented as one-dimensional and as an instant gratifying practice. This presentation will discuss how wellness is a multifaceted endeavor and will explore topics such as emotional literacy, emotional regulation, and help-seeking behaviours. The ultimate takeaway is that student leaders will continue to model these skills and encourage others to look at the “whole picture” of wellness!

Be an Irreplaceable Leader: Casting a Vision for your Personal Leadership Style

Presenter Name: Aino Eze-Anyanwu

Location: Richcraft Hall 3202

Description:

Everyone has a unique set of values and interests that should drive the way they lead, but sometimes knowing and valuing your uniqueness gets lost in the noise of life. Join Aino for an opportunity to identify your core values and abilities and visually reflect them in your personal leadership vision statement.

Skills to Habits – Stepping Stones to Success

Presenter Name: Dominic Weiss

Location: Richcraft Hall 3110

Description:

We all know what makes a leader effective, but how can we continually improve in this role? In this Education Session, we will explore the fundamentals of building strong skills through habits, one step at a time. This top-down approach of habit formation works for all levels of leadership, from beginners to experienced leaders. Dominic will facilitate a discussion about what habits make a great leader and delegates will work together in a short activity to break down skills into habits, and further break those into immediately actionable steps.

The Principles of Disability Justice and Their Purpose in Your Work

Presenter Names: Hanna Huppé

Location: Richcraft Hall 3112

Description:

Hanna will introduce delegates to the principles of disability justice as introduced by Sins Invalid. These principles are rooted in Black Feminist practice, and promote’s intersectional and accessible practice. By learning about and understanding these principles, delegates will have a new foundation for their advocacy and leadership work. This Education Session will involve a brief sharing of knowledge, followed by group discussions designed to build your confidence in utilizing these principles. Accessibility is for everyone, and so is disability justice!

How to Survive and Thrive Through Burnout

Presenter Name: Husna Erva Danisment

Location: Richcraft Hall 3224

Description:

Feel like you’re on the verge of burnout? Maybe you are already in one but can’t take a break? Well, you are not alone! University is one of the prime times to experience burnout and taking a break doesn’t always feel like an option. In this Education Session, Husna will go over scientific methods as well as personal anecdotes from other participants about burnout. Husna will share their experiences with burnout as an international student who is neurodivergent.

Navigating Humanitarian Leadership

Presenter Names: Mahnoor Nadeem and Sarah El Fitori

Location: Richcraft Hall 3228

Description:

This Education Session will lead attendees through the process of having an idea and using that idea to create change in our communities. This will be done by empowering students to believe in themselves and take actionable steps towards change. Mahnoor and Sarah will show how they took the initiative and started a business which has collected tens of thousands of dollars to donate for humanitarian aid around the world.

How to Not Be a Good Leader: An Eye-Opener on Common Counterproductive Habits and Traits

Presenter Names: Aurora Tracy, Katherine Larose, James Healey

Location: Richcraft Hall 2311

Description:

This Education Session focuses on the complexities of leadership and common pitfalls where we get it wrong. Three neuroscience students will guide you through various examples of leadership strategies that hinder team success through a series of informational segments, guided reflections and group activities. James, Katherine and Aurora will share their tips and experiences with poor leadership behaviour and alternatives for creating more collaborative, enjoyable team environments.

Closing Ceremonies

2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Location: Richcraft Hall 2200
Description: Join us to wrap up SOAR 2024! We will be announcing our SOAR 2024 prize winners and presenting our Student Life Awards.