To motivate African-American students and to help them improve their leadership skills, nearly 70 campus group leaders came together last night for the first Black Leadership Summit in Clark Student Center.

“It is good to learn to become a leader for the university and to be able to communicate effectively throughout my fraternity Omega Delta Phi,” said Treston Lacy, a mass communication sophomore.

Shay Hopkins, a senior in education, said, “I came to get more insight in black leadership. I want to be able to use it toward the leadership positions that I already hold in the organizations I am involved with on campus.”

Denise Simmons, assistant professor in educational leadership, and Tiffany Stewart, associate professor of counseling, started off the summit by sharing their hardships of growing up as underprivileged African-Americans, giving tips and life lessons to be successful.

Simmons told students to set reachable goals and to bring themselves up.

“You need to find people that will not bring you down, hanging out with people in a bad crowd will make you guilty by association,” she told the crowd. “Motivate yourself to be the best you can. Check your attitude and make sure to keep it positive.”

Stewart told of her life growing up in the wrong crowd.

“The group I was hanging around with was not going to go to college, they were just trying to party,” said Stewart who ended up having to go to college alone, changing scenery to realize her full potential.

“I share my story because I know what it is like to go from no where to where I am today. I know what it is like to have grown up with no role models in my immediate reach. I know what it is like to make a way out of no way,” Stewart said.

Finally, Cortnie Walker, an emergency medical physician, told the students about the importance of having passion.

“Go for your dreams even if they are difficult or out of the box,” Walker told the students who ate shrimp or chicken for dinner.

D’Andre Fisher, a special assistant to the vice president at Oklahoma State University, was unable to attend.

After the student leaders heard from Simmons, Walker and Stewart, they broke into small groups to develop action plans and to discuss their vision and heard from keynote speaker Jinneh Dyson an organizational consultant.

“Being the first year that it was attempted, it’s a positive experience that can be built on in the future,” Matthew Park, associate vice president for student affairs, said. “It was a very good interaction of students and faculty.”