Six John Brown University students attended the Arkansas Student Leadership Forum from Oct. 21-23 in Little Rock. According to its website, ASLF teaches students life-changing leadership principles shown by Jesus himself and ignores the notion that Jesus is strictly a religious figure. They believe that if students examine traits like humility, integrity, forgiveness and commitment, college campuses and the whole world alike will be changed for the better.
The program sprung out of the first National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 1951. This event brought together political, religious and business leaders from all over for a specific goal: praying over the countries of the world.
In 1990, Congressional leaders started the National Student Leadership Forum in an attempt to encourage students to study the leadership model of Jesus. This first event inspired many states to host their own forums, including the Arkansas forum.
Lauren West, senior kinesiology and political science major, plans to use everything she learned to be a more effective leader. “The forum was an opportunity for college students in Arkansas who have some form of leadership responsibilities to meet and learn and discuss what it means to be a servant leader today,” she said.
West learned that being a servant leader is not simply a style of leadership, “but rather the only way to be a true leader.” She hopes to apply what she learned to all of the groups she is a part of in order to make a difference in the lives around her.
William Newton, junior English major, feels that what he learned at the forum will change the way he leads in any leadership position. The highlight of the forum for Newton was the wisdom of the guest speakers. “Each speaker was truly inspiring, but the biggest takeaway from ASLF for me was the tactics that they used to come back from failure,” Newton said. “I have always been terrified of failure, but hearing well-known speakers be vulnerable about their lowest points and how they used these moments as a chance to grow, helped encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone and overcome any hesitations in my leadership.”
ASLF believes they are changing the future leadership of this country one student at a time. Quoting the ASLF website, “The future of a nation depends on the character and values of its future leaders.”
Photo courtesy of AR Student Leadership Forum’s Instagram