Students sitting in grass outside ISC
Junior Brandon Gaylord is organizing a day-long leadership workshop on campus Dec. 4 for high school juniors and sophomores from seven area school districts.
GENESEO, N.Y. – Juniors and sophomores from seven area high schools are coming to the SUNY Geneseo campus Dec. 4 to experience a day-long leadership training program created by a Geneseo student focused on empowering tomorrow’s leaders.
“This kind of leadership training is not readily available to all area high schools, and I’m hoping this program can greatly fill that gap,” said Brandon Gaylord, a junior history major from Phoenix, Ariz., who created and organized the nonprofit StandUp Leadership Progam through the college’s Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development (CIDD).
The students will hear presentations from the same leadership trainers who make presentations for SUNY Geneseo students through the award-winning Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD) Program, which provided the model for “StandUp Leadership.”
“The students participating in this program will definitely benefit from the experience just like thousands of Geneseo students have from GOLD,” said Gaylord.
Some 128 students will be participating in the workshop from the Geneseo, Livonia, Caledonia-Mumford, York, Dansville, Keshequa and Wayland-Cohocton School Districts.
The program runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature a team-building presentation in addition to sessions by Geneseo faculty and staff on such topics as "The Power of Introverts," "Active Listening," "Stress Management," "Public Speaking," “Being Happy and Successful at the Same Time,” etc.
Between workshop sessions, area employers and college admissions and financial aid advisers will be present to network with the students on job and college opportunities. Employers scheduled to attend so far are Wegmans; Kraft Foods, Noyes Health; Energy Enterprises; Aldon Corp.; FTT Manufacturing; The Business Education Alliance of Livingston County; Livingston County Workforce Development Office; All Western Evergreens; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County; Great Clips; Partyman Catering; Livingston County Sheriff's Office; and Seating Inc.
Gaylord created the program as the Geneseo Alumni Association Ambassador in the CIDD. The center awards numerous $5,000 grants to students each year. The ambassadorships are funded by generous donors to carry out self-directed, transformational projects on campus, within the local community or around the world.