(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Heffner) “UMass Lowell students at summit”
Benjamin Heffner
Connector Editor
On Nov. 15, UMass Boston hosted the second annual UMass Student Leadership Summit, open to students from all four UMass campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell.
The summit, titled “Leading with Purpose and Well-Being,” focused on an exploration of leading with purpose and balance, including discovering individual strengths, reflecting on individual values and motivations and learning how to set healthy boundaries and manage responsibilities.
Joanne Dunbar, Senior Associate Director of Student Life and Involvement, helped plan the summit for UMass Lowell and said the summit prioritized student mental health.
She said, “we know that students can oftentimes put taking care of themselves on the back burner with all of their commitments, so we really want to make sure we can infuse that into leadership.”
The event began with a keynote address from Hannah Monbleau, Associate Director of Student Life and Well-Being, who talked to students about finding their beacon of light, referencing UMass Boston’s mascot Bobby the Beacon.
She said, “it’s really important that you remember who you are as a person and hone in on your skills as a leader.”
Monbleau also commented on the summit, saying, “it’s all about taking care and staying true to yourself through your leadership.”
During the day, students attended various 55-minute sessions, ranging from workshops covering personal boundaries and self-control to a nature walk along the ocean.
One of the sessions was led by Dunbar, in which she talked about the importance of values.
She said, “students were able to identify what values are most important to them at this time in their life, and then how to align those values in congruent ways that make sense for leadership positions.”
Dunbar added, “we often times take roles so that you can build skills or find a place to belong, so it’s important to have conversations about what matters most and how students can align that with the things investing their time.”
One of those representing UMass Lowell in attendance was Student Government Association (SGA) President Gavin Robillard, who said it was “one of the most informative conferences I have attended.”
Robillard added, “unlike most conferences, which showcase successful student government initiatives or feature unfamiliar speakers, this summit focused on the well-being of leaders, which matters greatly in today’s society. I am grateful to have been invited to meet so many leaders within our thriving UMass system.”
Feedback following the summit was positive, with students agreeing that they had positive takeaways, particularly in areas of reflection and self-reflection.
Dunbar said, “I think students felt they had a stronger understanding of their own well-being and how to infuse it into their leadership role.”
Plans for a third annual summit are already well underway for next fall and will be hosted here at UMass Lowell.
Dunbar acknowledged, “We maybe need to offer additional sessions to increase what we’re offering to students and also to be able to open it up to even more students from all four campuses, but we’re excited to host and see what it will become.”
