PJC AASU students present leadership conference

Published or Revised April 11, 2013

Bringing important leadership lessons to their fellow students was the goal Friday for members of the Paris Junior College African American Student Union as they sponsored the first Building Leadership & Construction Knowledge Conference. "I can't tell you how important it is to develop leaders," said PJC President Dr. Pamela Anglin as she welcomed the students, "how important it is today to the future of PJC and for the future of this nation." She invited students returning next year to apply to join a presidential leadership group starting up in the fall. "We're so glad to have you here participating today in something that's a first for PJC and something that will grow next year and the years after," said Dr. Anglin. The ambitious agenda lasted all morning and concluded with a free hot dog lunch. Taking lessons away from this event, the students plan to expand next year. "I thought it went really well," said Student Life Director and AASU sponsor Kenneth Webb. "Turnout was good and I thought the students learned something and really enjoyed it. Next year we plan to invite high school seniors." After an icebreaking exercise, students heard from PJC English instructor Joan Mathis, who gave an inspirational talk framed by literary works she used to develop her philosophy of life. She started with the Creation story and Psalms 91 to underscore the importance of working on the basics, discovering a purpose and pursuing goals and overcoming obstacles. Another of her favorite inspirations is the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling, which begins "If you can keep your head when all about you, Are losing theirs and blaming it on you," to illustrate keeping a level head and not be too influenced by losing or winning. She concluded with excerpts from Raisin in the Sun to show the importance of love without judging and the Eudora Welty short story, "The Worn Path," to demonstrate the knowledge that someone will help you if you keep pursuing your goals. Next came the first of three presentations from PJC English instructor Marian Ellis on setting goals. Students must decide what to accomplish and how to do that, who they'll seek help from and knowing when they've accomplished a goal. Ellis also taught how achieve goals, using the SMART concepts – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Students were taken through a four-step process setting out their motivations and obstacles, creating a Huge Outrageous Goal (HOG), reviewing whether it was a SMART plan and making a promise to themselves to never let their dreams die or forget their goals. The second talk featured financial planning and was delivered by Webb and Bill Coleman, senior vice president with Liberty National Bank. This covered how students can reduce debt and start wisely managing money to be able to retire by age 50. The third presentation came from PJC student Kevin Adkins. He relayed his personal story of how a football injury taught him the importance of family. He also told of promising his grandfather to mow his yard, and how he kept putting it off. One day he went by to find that an uncle had done the mowing. His grandfather told him to remember "you are half a man if you don't keep your word." Adkins said that was a powerful moment and reminded audience members that they should keep their promises to others. "I think for our first year it went pretty good, I'd like to see this continue," said AASU Secretary Ashley Reed, from Clarksville. "I liked the workshops. I'd like to have heard more financial information. Next time we'll have more participation."