Miami students engage in leadership program at national conference

L-R Back row: Calvin Davis, Johnnie Jackson, Gabriel White, Eric Wynn, Brooke Shirley L-R Front row: Danae Tolle, Dr. Tate, Krystal Rupert, Nikiah Kerr

Two Miami University students, Calvin Davis, a senior marketing major, and Danae' Tolle, a senior psychology major with management and child studies minors, received special honors at the 26th annual Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC) January 16-19. Davis and Tolle were invited to take part in the Charles E. Williams Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI).

Running concurrently with the SBSLC, The Charles E. Williams ALI provides the opportunities for exemplary student leaders to engage in an in-depth experience that will prepare them to be transformational leaders on their campuses and in their communities.

Davis also won the conference’s oratorical contest with a speech about mobilizing the African-American community to keep black community issues relevant.

Other Miami University students who attended the conference were:
* Angel Evans (international studies major, Spanish and social justice and inequalities double minor)
* Nikiah Kerr (psychology major, family relationships minor)
* Krystal Rupert (family studies and psychology double major)
* Brooke Shirley (black world studies and sport studies double major)
* Gabriel White (sociology major)
* Eric Wynn (biochemistry major)

Johnnie Jackson, a doctoral student in educational leadership, and Juanita Tate, director of diversity initiatives at Miami, attended as advisers.

This is the third year Miami University has taken students to the conference, which is focused on creating a forum in which leaders are able to develop personally and professionally by engaging in superior programming and intellectual discourse while addressing the problems and concerns that affect the black community. The conference’s theme was “Leaders Over Limits.”

written by Mac McCormick, university news and communications intern