From October 31st to November 1st, MSU GYLN President Grace Urban and Vice President Ryan Carlin attended the 8th annual Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) in Washington, D.C. Their attendance was sponsored by the Global Youth Advancement Network, and they were selected in part due to their leadership roles with the MSU chapter of GYLN.

GSLS was held in conjunction with the Global Inclusion Conference hosted by Diversity Abroad, an organization dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion practices and policies in international education. Attended by students from colleges and universities across the U.S., the aim of the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) is to equip students with leadership skills and global competencies they can apply to their campus organizations, globally diverse communities, and in their future professions.

The conference featured leadership sessions that helped student leaders to identify their individual strengths and reflect on what it means to be a leader, as well as keynote speakers from education abroad and global learning backgrounds, and breakout sessions where participants engaged in critical dialogue centered on self-reflection and goal-setting. Grace and Ryan enjoyed these and other practical professionalization opportunities, such as a LinkedIn workshop and having their professional headshots taken.

The conference featured leadership sessions that helped student leaders to identify their individual strengths and reflect on what it means to be a leader, as well as keynote speakers from education abroad and global learning backgrounds, and breakout sessions where participants engaged in critical dialogue centered on self-reflection and goal-setting. Grace and Ryan enjoyed these and other practical professionalization opportunities, such as a LinkedIn workshop and having their professional headshots taken.

Grace shared that she especially enjoyed the breakout session on “Disruptive Leadership,” which reflected on the topic of how to be respectful while also changing the norm through a values-based approach to leadership. The session discussed that while leaders sometimes find themselves in uncomfortable or difficult situations, their values can serve as an anchor to help navigate challenges.

Through this session and the conference overall, Grace shared her takeaway that you don’t have to be in a leadership position in order to be a leader. Reflecting on the ways this session could be applied to her work with the MSU chapter of GYLN, Grace shared:

“You don’t have to be the president of the club—you can still be a leader as a member.

All GYLN members get the chance to lead their own projects and serve as amazing leaders, both in the community and among their peers.

Ryan shared that he found the “Star Power” session especially enlightening. This market economy simulation had each participant dealt chips of different monetary values that they had to trade, without knowing what they would receive in return. This session helped to illustrate power dynamics in business, and asked participants to think about what it means to be a good leader while also having to work toward making a profit.

Ryan shared the takeaway he gained from this exercise:

“In life, you are dealt a hand and there’s nothing you can do about it. The challenge is not to judge others, but to have a greater understanding that anyone can be given a bad hand.”

Grace and Ryan shared how much they enjoyed meeting like-minded student leaders from across the country and hearing about their international and local projects, as well as the opportunity to connect with professionals from higher education, the public sphere, and the private sector. They also took advantage of the opportunity to tour Washington, D.C., visiting landmarks such as the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.

Ryan shared the following advice to other students who might be interested in attending the GSLS conference: “If you are on the fence about attending, just give it a chance. It’s an experience you can learn from, so reach outside your comfort zone and grow in the rain.”

Grace also shared her advice: “For future members of GYLN, if you get the opportunity to attend the GSLS conference, you should definitely take it. It is worth missing a couple of days of classes for the experience and for the chance to build skills, reflect on your values, and get specific about your goals.”