When students become leaders

Thirty students attend the Outreach and Civic Engagement unit’s third Leadership Residential Training camp to learn more about teamwork, communications skills and leadership.

September 5, 2014

Thirty students attend the Outreach and Civic Engagement unit’s third Leadership Residential Training camp to learn more about teamwork, communications skills and leadership.

The students took part in workshops, training sessions and activities that reinforced the concepts of leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

One of the camp workshops, Secrets of Student Success, stressed the importance of time management, teamwork, strategy building and problem solving in the lives of students both in college and after graduation.

Elie Samia gave the group a seminar on the traits that make a good leader and reinforce the relationship between good leaders and good followers, using interactive games that tested efficient communication, listening, cooperation and mutual respect.

At an altitude of 1350 meters and surrounded by 100,000 square meters of oak, pine, apple and cherry trees, the Peak Resort in Feytroun describes itself as a “true challenge.” This summer, LAU students went to meet a different challenge that the Outreach and Civic Engagement Unit (OCE) had set for them there, as part of its third Leadership Residential Training camp.

Thirty highly accomplished students from different LAU specialties and schools were selected by OCE to participate in the leadership training. The camp offered them a rigorous schedule of workshops, training sessions and activities that reinforce the concepts of leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

One of the camp workshops, Secrets of Student Success, was led by Dina Abdul Rahman, study abroad and program lead coordinator at OCE. It stressed the importance of time management, teamwork, strategy building and problem solving in the lives of students both in college and after graduation. Adul Rahman talked about the opportunities offered to students at LAU and by the civil society in general, urging them to get involved and enrich their CVs.

“What we do is at the heart of LAU’s mission. We definitely play a huge role in helping these students become future leaders in their community and beyond. We try our best to show them that while studying a big part of what they do here; they also need to develop other skills necessary for later in life. It is the combination of success in academia and extracurricular activities that will make them future leaders,” she explains.

Pharmacy student Loubna Radwan immediately felt the effects of the training. “Signing up for the camp was one of the best things I could have done this summer. The time I’ve spent here has shown me how to strike a balance between the academic and interpersonal areas of my life and I know this will make me a better person all around,” she said.

OCE Executive Director Elie Samia gave the group a seminar on the traits that make a good leader and reinforce the relationship between good leaders and good followers. He used interactive games that tested skills such as efficient communication, listening, cooperation and mutual respect.

On the second day, Alan Kairouz, lead program coordinator at the Byblos Dean of Students Office gave a workshop on the skills needed in crisis situations and how to control anxiety and panic. He based his approach on martial arts, giving the students a real feel of crisis situations and the mind mastery required to get out of such situations. The group explored specific circumstances where they would feel tension or panic, such as public speaking. Kairouz offered them a general perspective on tools they can use to overcome their anxieties and master the art of giving speeches in public.

For psychology student Nourhan Wehbe this experience was second to none. “I am confident when I say that thanks to OCE, we will become tomorrow’s leaders,” she said, smiling.

Find stories by date

Subscribe to the RSS feed

When students become leaders

More

Latest Stories