Internationals Learn Leadership

Photo by Linh Dinh

The International Students Leadership Conference (ISLC) is a two-day event that is hosted and sponsored annually by James Madison University’s Office of International Programs, International Student and Scholar Services, and Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 

Beginning in 2001, the event attracts 250 students from 65 countries and 23 institutions each year. According to the Office of International Programs at James Madison University, the conference is for all globally-minded international students in the United States   and aims to create a friendly and supportive environment for these students, provide a venue for participants to explore and share different leadership concepts in a global context, and offer many opportunities for participants to interact with one another. 

This year, Concord University participated at the event on March 27 and 28 with 12 student representatives from different countries and various degree programs. The theme of the conference is “Right? Wrong? Ethical?” and acts as a debate for what it takes for one to be an ethical leader. 

The keynote speaker of the 2015 conference was Miki Agrawal, an entrepreneur and, according to the JMU website, “one of the foremost millennials creating global shift on the business and social front with her dynamic combination of energy.” Agrawal was presented, by the JMU.edu, to share her experience as well as discuss her book “Do Cool S**t” as a positive influence on students to pursue their passions and achieve their goals. 

Sarun Junsiri, a Concord Student from Thailand, a sophomore in political science major, shared that the conference “was a truly unique experience both American and international students. There are over 300 internationals [that] participated in the conference. The ISLC provided me with [an] idea of how to be a good leader in an organization or a small group and also the idea of how be a good follower. I personally liked the session that was dedicated for F-1 students and what their employment opportunities might be after they graduate. This information is essential because I am not able to find anyone to talk about this, but the ISLC provided attorneys to speak about how F-1 students can work in the U.S. legally. It was worth the time to attend the ISLC. It gives you the opportunity to improve yourself and the people around you.”

Some of the sessions provided to students included valuable skills such as an interactive session to find out how community service can help empower students to become an effective leader and active community member through participation in volunteerism or how one would apply ethics into his or her leadership philosophy to handle hardship both individually and in a group setting. Previous ISLC sessions have covered a wide array of issues: Cross-Cultural Communication, Women in leadership positions, the importance of relaxation, and tools for being an effective student organization executive member. 

Students were asked to engage in various activities to bond and get to know each other. These sessions were coordinated by Salorne McDonald, Advisor of the ISLC Committee and Moderator of the Conference. At the end of the conference, JMU hosted a “Happy Hour” dinner and a dance party for students to relax and get adapted to American culture.

Olga Novikova, a Concord student from Russia, a junior in the Recreation and Tourism Management program, said it was her second year of attending the conference and “[the conference] gives many opportunities for making lifelong connections with people from around the world and share different ideas; it also inspires to achieve your goals and dreams. The speakers that come to talk to us (Sahil last year and Miki this year) shared their experience of achieving their goals from the start.”

The conference was a success and had a great turnout of students that will “definitely [be] coming back next year.” Concord University’s International Students Club is excited to attend the conference in the years to come.