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Edgar Cereceres breaks a board held by Ellen Guarco
during an activity titled ‘The Empowerment Exercise’. The activity was designed to achieve goals and say ‘yes’ to self-improvement. |
Retreat offers tools
for great leadership
Lisa-Jean Mugler
Mesa Legend
Future leaders of Mesa, and Arizona—maybe even the world—met recently to develop their personal skills. Their intensive training came during a Leadership Today Student Diversity Retreat, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Services.
“Our outlook is a global one. A good leader can’t have a narrow focus,” said Nina Robinson, Director of Multicultural Services.
“They have to be exposed to other views, to include them in their world view.”
The Leadership Retreat took place at the Whispering Pines Camp in Prescott, over a weekend in early March.
Participants were comprised of 31students determined to make a difference in their future.
The students were assisted by 12 staff from MCC, many who volunteered their time.
The workshops took place on March 4-6 and covered a diverse range of topics.
The purpose of the retreat was to give the participants tools to become great leaders.
“What is neat about the retreat is that we take them to a camp where there is no TV or telephones or radios, where they have to focus on the issues. But yet we make it fun,” said Robinson.
Students were encouraged to participate in workshops teaching about the effects of prejudice and discrimination in society.
Although the weekend was designed to have fun, it also resulted in future leaders coming away with both a better understanding and respect for themselves, as well as others.
“I think it is two-fold, it’s not just about other cultures and people from different backgrounds,” Robinson emphasized, “but it’s about yourself, and how you feel about different issues.”
Leadership isn’t just about being in charge, according to Robinson, it’s about having the ability to be a good leader, empowering yourself and others around you.
“They can either sit on the sidelines saying ‘things aren’t right in this world’ or they can be warriors and stand up and make a change. We emphasize being a change maker in your family, in your environment: on campus and in your community.”
This was accomplished by interactive, hands-on activities with students and staff of different religions, races, lifestyles and cultures.
The workshop covered such wide-ranging topics as “My Diverse Identity,” “Racial Experience/Conditioning,” “Privilege,” “Hate Mail & the American Dream,” and “9 Levels of Gender Prejudice.”
“Not only have we changed attitudes, a lot of people don’t realize that they are privileged—don’t realize what people who are privileged go through, you know class-wise.”
The next leadership retreat will be in the fall, Nov. 10-13. Students will be able to go and learn about the many world views of the people they will lead, and they will also be given tools to change the future.
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