Ole Miss Women’s Council Offers PULSE Leadership Conference for January

The Ole Miss Women’s Council (OMWC) and the Office of the Dean of Students for Leadership and Involvement are offering their PULSE Leadership Conference for the second year in a row, after much success from last year’s gathering.

This student leadership experience is scheduled for Friday, January 22, 2016 and Saturday, January 23 at the University of Mississippi Law School.

Kacey Schaum, Assistant Dean of Students for Leadership and Involvement, said her office is proud to work with the Ole Miss Women’s Council in sponsoring the conference, and particularly proud of the students attending.

“We believe that the student participants are being intentional with their time at Ole Miss,” Schaum said. “They are fully investing in themselves and embracing all of the great opportunities offered.”

Junior Business Marketing major Carlee Fava, who attended last year’s conference, recommends PULSE to any Ole Miss student, regardless of major or interests.

“I truly enjoyed so many things from my experience with PULSE,” Fava said. “I made so many new friendships with awesome people who share the same goals and ambitions as me. You will always be able to use leadership skills throughout your life.”

Not only did Fava have the chance to connect with other Ole Miss sophomores, but also the opportunity to network with CEO’s, company presidents and entrepreneurs.

During last year’s conference, CEO’s such as John N. Allen, President of Industrial Equities, held leadership sessions, where they discussed topics like successful and effective skills for influencing a group. Other previous session leaders include keynote speaker Rose Flenorl, Manager of Social Responsibility at FedEx and OMWC chair member, and Scott Cole, Vice President of The Hershey Company.

Throughout the two-day conference, students will identify their behavior style, and successfully learn how to apply this knowledge in leadership roles. The conference is a time for students to appreciate the need to develop leadership skills, while working toward an understanding of how leadership applies in the real world.

Suzanne Helveston, Leadership Coordinator for the Ole Miss Women’s Council, is optimistic about the outcome of the conference.

“It is our hope that students who participate will enhance their own leadership skills and will be provided with knowledge to apply during their remaining time at Ole Miss and also as they enter the workforce,” Helveston said.

William Kneip, a senior Public Policy Leadership major, looks back on his PULSE experience in nothing but a positive light, especially as he approaches graduation.

“In retrospect, I realize that it was not only what I learned in PULSE,” Kneip said, “but more importantly the friendships that PULSE helped cultivate between our sophomore class and University and community leaders.”

Taking the leadership skills and relationships developed during the PULSE conference, Kneip was able to use them firsthand when running for Mr. Ole Miss.

“I was humbled by my support and service from those same individuals that had attended PULSE with me,” Kneip said. “I want to thank the leadership conference and the Ole Miss Women’s Council for their continued passion to cultivate and mentor leaders and servants in our Ole Miss family.”

Sophomore students are eligible to attend PULSE through an academic department nomination, as well as any student organization they are affiliated with. Students can also self-nominate through OrgSync.

For any students that have not yet applied, the application deadline had been extended to 5 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2016.

Article contributed by Laura Pace. She can be reached at lpace@go.olemiss.edu.