As part of an ongoing effort to teach students leadership skills and give them a chance to network with state officials. On Nov. 7, students will have the opportunity to attend the Texas Leadership Forum in Austin, for the second time this year.
Last winter, two students attended the conference at the encouragement of Joseph Gomba, a teaching assistant in political science, to discuss everything from the future of Texas water to starting a small business.
“I learned how to ‘meet and greet’ and how to behave around business people,” Brandon Taylor, a sophomore in radiology and sociology, said. “I saw how they acted and I got to interact with them.”
The other student attendee, Amy Brister, a senior in political science and history, said, “I learned that you have to try to step out of your comfort zone and work to promote who you are and what you can do.”
“My professor asked the class if anyone wanted to go to it, and I volunteered,” Taylor said. “I had to submit a resumé and I was excited to go.”
The forum, which lasted three days, consisted of various workshops and networking opportunities with state officials. The students were able to rub elbows with the likes of economist Ray Perryman, Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter, state Sen. Kel Seliger and state Rep. Tryon Lewis, among many others.
“It sounded like a good opportunity to meet current leaders, and I hoped to get some good advice on future graduate schools and internships,” Brister said.
Gomba, political science teaching assistant and faculty sponsor for the trip last January and the trip this November, said he and the students were not expecting to be such a big voice on the Texas drought issue.
“These two students were above and beyond our expectations, and they had such a good review from the officials there,” Gomba said. “I was very pleased with the way they carried themselves and how they represented MSU. We couldn’t have asked for two better students to represent us.”
The forum’s objective for the participants was to teach them practical leadership skills, train them in individualized sessions and put their training to the test in small-group breakout sessions.
Gomba said the best part of the forum was the ambiance of the event, where people with different ideas and interests could discuss real issues. He also said the forum is a great way for college students to learn how to confidently make decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
“If you stay quiet and unnoticed, you will never be remembered and never get the opportunities that can change your future,” Brister said.
The next Texas Leadership Forum will be held on Nov. 7 in Austin and will cover a wide range of topics including energy, finance and technology.
“I would definitely like to go to the next forum,” Taylor said. “I learned a lot about how to be a leader among society. It was a great experience.”
