By Perla Gonzalez/reporter
TR Campus hosted the eighth Leadership eXperience Summit — Leading Change Understanding Difference Oct. 15. About 250 students, faculty, staff, politicians and community members attended.
A panel discussion with TCC and community leaders covered various topics such as advice for first-time leaders, differences between 21st and 20th century leaders, ways to acculturate rather than assimilate, the biggest struggles as leaders, characteristics of a leader and strategies for approaching other leaders without fear.
“Everybody comes with different life experiences,” said Marcy Paul of the YWCA, summarizing the day’s theme.
The panelists listed traits to help students become leaders. In addition to being themselves, students were advised to be respectful, attentive, passionate, compassionate, dependable and humble. They also suggested building relationships to the audience that consisted mostly of students with leadership roles in organizations on TCC campuses.
Dr. Danna Diaz, director of student engagement and school completion for the Fort Worth Independent School District, was the keynote speaker.
She began her presentation with a song and several questions for the audience members to discuss among themselves, serving not only as an icebreaker but also as a way to obtain ideas for change.
Diaz then asked questions and had audience members stand when they recognized themselves or their situations in her questions.
“Culture can always set anyone apart from someone else,” she said in response to the exercise. “Some people abandon their own culture and identity.”
Diaz discussed her own life experiences and challenges from being a gang member, a single mother and an aspiring first-year Hispanic graduate.
She said words are simply words and would not be useful until people decide to take action. She said one should motivate the country’s future leaders by asking, “What university are you going to?” inspiring in them a positive future.
“It is not about you or me,” she said. ”It’s about us.”
