NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Members of the Edison State Community College Student Senate recently attended the American Student Association of Community College’s National Student Contemporary Leadership and Citizenship Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The three-day conference was geared toward developing students’ leadership and citizenship skills to take back to their campus, improving their student government organization through new trends, discussions and tactics, and networking and connecting with like-minded individuals.
Representing the Edison State Student Senate were President Matthew Studebaker, of Piqua, Director of Administration Dylan Warren, of Piqua, and Director of Operations Devan O’Connell, of Sidney.
“My experiences at the conference have given me new insight into the way that productive leaders head their teams and how those teams view and depend on their leader,” Studebaker said. “This experience has imbued me with a new sense of purpose – a drive to do better than I currently am. I hope to spread this ambition, like a wildfire, throughout the Senate.
“I’ve also brought back a renewed hope that our Senate can be built into a truly successful organization that creates effective and achievable goals, continues recruiting motivated individuals and finds new and creative ways to engage with the student body.”
It is through this conference that the group was able to bring back new ideas to implement in their role in the Student Senate.
“My goal, as Senate president, has always been to improve our campus’ relationship with the public – as evidenced by the third of our three tenets: promote community involvement,” Studebaker added.
“The ASACC Conference in Nashville has given me some insight into what community really represents – a subset of people related not only by proximity but also by a desire to improve one’s surroundings. It is my goal that through my interactions with our student body that I inspire those attending Edison to go out into our beautiful city and the neighboring communities and look for opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways.”
The group was able to participate in the ASACC Conference through a classroom mini-grant from The Edison Foundation, which is designed to provide financial support for projects, programs and services not funded through employees’ regular department budgets.
The Student Senate serves as the voice of Edison State students, devoting time in helping make Edison State the best social, educational and community-driven college it can be. Joining the Student Senate has many benefits, including meeting new people, developing leadership skills, getting involved on campus and more. Edison State students interested in joining the Student Senate are encouraged to apply. Applications are available via email at [email protected].
