Attending student-led conferences | YouAlberta

Experiential Learning

YouAlberta is written by students for students.

Ashley (she/her), born and raised in Sherwood Park, is an ambitious student passionate about adventure. Known for her creativity and friendly spirit, she has practiced highland dancing-a Scottish tradition-for over 20 years! Ashley has even had the unique experience of performing at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland. She is a zealous traveller who has explored numerous countries through school and dance and plans to continue these global adventures. Ashley has a BSc in psychology from the U of A and is now in her first year of pursuing her MA in ancient societies and cultures. Next on her academic journey is to pursue her PhD. Ashley's favourite campus spots include Old Arts and Convocation Hall, where she enjoys studying and reminiscing about her undergrad convocation.

The FSSL makes a great case for spending a Saturday on North Campus! I participated in informative sessions, networking opportunities and workshop events at this student-led conference focused on the intersection between sustainability and leadership.

Sharing my experience at the conference, and the steps I took to prepare, will hopefully inspire you to look into these opportunities in the future - and maybe host a conference of your own!

Preparing for the conference

Many students are eager to attend conferences but are often too shy or intimidated to sign up. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to feel prepared walking in, even by yourself. Here are some tips I employed to get the most out of my day at FSSL.

1. Review the details. It seems obvious, but make sure that you know where you're going, how you're getting there, what time you need to arrive, what you're wearing and what you need to bring. Most conferences will send out an email to ensure you have the information you need - FSSL sent out an entire delegate package complete with safety and accessibility information.
2. Go with a goal! Why are you attending this conference? Are you looking to meet more friends in your field? Are you trying to find potential career contacts? Maybe there's a speaker you've researched and particularly want to see. Or maybe this is simply a topic you find fascinating! Whatever it is, acknowledge this goal ahead of time so you can take steps to achieve it, such as picking the right sessions to attend.
3. Get a foundation. You'll want to have some foundational knowledge so that you can keep up in conversation with other attendees and appreciate the sessions for what they offer. It doesn't need to be a whole research project, but do a few Google searches!

My Day at FSSL

Based on my session selection, I ended up with the schedule below. Check out this link for all the session options that were available!

• 9:45 a.m. Registration and refreshments
• 10 a.m. Peyal Laceese
• 11:15 a.m. Vanessa Lancaster (Leadership)
• 12:15 p.m. Lunch, Involvement Fair
• 1:30 p.m. Student Leaders Panel (Governance)
• 2:40 p.m. Abbie Herbert (Sustainability)
• 3:50 p.m. Katrina Hillyer
• 5:00 p.m. Networking

Peyal Laceese, an Indigenous leader who has worked with the federal government, started off the day with an engaging talk, even featuring his daughter in an introductory song! He was incredibly honest in his speech in terms of relations between Indigenous groups and global organizations like the United Nations, and his answers to attendees' questions were thoughtful and insightful.

Meanwhile, the student leader panel comprised a variety of undergraduates in student clubs, helping me to understand how better to approach my own role as a student executive. In Vanessa Lancaster's session, we worked in teams to complete a workshop activity related to levels of satisfaction in each area of our lives. Taking a step back to gain this perspective was super interesting, plus getting to know other folks and learning from Lancaster's expertise.

Lastly, I attended Abbie Herbert's Zero-Waste info session, which, as a student passionate about sustainability on campus, I felt was packed with helpful information. I learned about the differences between the waste disposal systems on campus and at home and where to dispose of common items found on campus.

Katrina Hillyer ended the day with a captivating speech. After working on a sustainable farm in her childhood and in the fashion world in her adulthood, Hillyer decided to combine her passions into her own sustainable clothing brand. From repurposing used fabrics to meeting product demand, she is putting her own spin on clothing and accessories!

Key Takeaways

Overall, my day at FSSL was full of networking with friends, valuable and entertaining sessions, helpful employees and volunteers. I've always had an interest in sustainability and leadership, and so getting to immerse myself in that world was very engaging. I also felt taking steps to prepare for this conference ahead of attending it was helpful in making sure I got the full value from the experience. These steps and this experience have motivated me to attend conferences in the future, and to encourage this passion in others as well!

To keep updated on the FSSL, take a look at their official website.