2022 Student Success Conference by Ginsburg Center for Inclusion and Community Engagement
CONFERENCE BLOG
Day One:
Friday, Aug. 26, 2022
Today, is day-one of the 2022 Student Success Conference. We checked in to the Live Oak Ballroom and had dinner at 63 South at UCF. We finally left UCF around 7pm and got to our hotel The Caribe Royal around 8:30pm. After getting our badges, hoodies, souvenir backpacks, and Friday conference t-shirts, we all met in the Carribean Ballroom where we went over general housekeeping. We had a surprise guest speaker, Dr. Joshua Fredenburg, who had immense motivational energy. Afterwards, we had scheduled free time so we took the time to explore the amenities, have a late night snack with some new friends, and head back to the hotel room.
Day Two:
Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022
The day started bright and early at 8:00am sharp. The roommates and I wore our professional outfits and headed down for breakfast. While eating, we had the opportunity to listen to our Vice Provost & Dean, Dr. Theodorea Berry give a speech. Afterwards, we broke into groups where half of us attended workshops inside the ballroom and the other half attended workshops outside the ballroom, then we would switch. I was able to attend workshops for becoming a competitive grad school applicant and transfer student success. We also had a workshop that emphasized the importance of embracing who you are and your name. That is a workshop I will never forget. During lunch, we were able to listen to another keynote speaker: our UCF President, Dr. Alexander Cartwright. His speech especially made an impact on me because of the way his life drastically has changed over the years. After his speech, we attended more workshops about internships/(wo)mentorships, and also had the opportunity to take professional headshots. We ended the day with the last keynote speaker, Dr. Joshua Fredenburg. The day ended with some free time and free food.
Day Three:
Sunday, Aug 28, 2022
The last day has come so we all wore our Friday conference t-shirts. Just like the day before, we got ready and headed down to the ballroom for breakfast. We had the joy of listening to another keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Cadore. After his speech, we had the opportunity to attend more workshops which I attended to learn about LinkedIn, how to build an online professional image, and college-life skills. Around time for snacks, the Assistant Dean at USF College of Medicine gave a speech and an open Q&A. His speech definitely stayed in my mind because of certain reactions he got from students. Afterwards, we had the UCF Alumni Panel offer an open Q&A. We ended the day with another motivational speech from Dr. Joshua Fredenburg. He is definitely a speaker I cannot forget. He instructed us to take a video on our phone repeating affirmations said by him, and we were told to watch the video for whenever we are seeking strength.
Around 5pm, we packed our bags and headed to Keg Social for one last social event as a group before heading to UCF to go home.
Reflection
Overall, the Student Success Conference helped me gain confidence in my professional abilities that I will use throughout my professional career. The conference also allowed me to gain new friends at UCF and grow my professional network as well. The workshops were very informative, especially the workshops around LinkedIn and networking as those I will use during my job search post-graduation and for future conferences. The keynote speakers gave me the motivation I needed to keep going this semester. I hope all students can experience conferences like this. I felt supported by my educational facility and I felt connected to my peers. Sometimes, we need that extra boost of motivation to keep us going.