The Twenty-First Annual Leadership in Education Seminar Continued in 2020 Via Online Conferencing – Student Leaders Learn Valuable Skills From Diverse Experts
Firmly believing that leaders are made not born, Secretary Leon E. Panetta established the Leadership Seminar in 1999. This year again, this first-of-its-kind program, included student body leaders elected by the twenty-three different campuses within the California State University system, a student leader representative from CSSA and a student trustee from the California State University Chancellor’s Office.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Leadership Seminar in its twenty-first year was conducted through web-conferencing connecting the twenty-five enrolled elected student body leaders to nationally renowned speakers who shared their insights on leadership from a variety of different perspectives in different fields. The program, held from Monday, June 15 through Friday, June 19, provided a unique opportunity for students to interact with this diverse group of prominent leaders, learn from their experiences, and engage in dialogue about current policy issues and leadership challenges in the 21st century.
These students then went back to their campuses and communities, ready to serve as more effective leaders.
I don’t thank I can thank the Secretary and CEO Panetta enough for choosing to continue with this Leadership Program. Even in the “virtual” setting, I was able to pick up a lot of information from the amazing list of guest speakers they arranged for us. I truly believe that this was a once in a lifetime experience and I am very appreciative of Secretary Panetta, his wife (CEO Panetta), and the behind-the-scenes organizers in figuring out how to put these seminars together through Zoom. I am grateful to have been nominated to attend and I will carry the lessons learned from the program to improve my leadership skills, better my relationship with my team, and remain honest at all times.
— 2020 Leadership Seminar Participant
2020 Leadership Seminar Speakers
Joining Secretary Panetta for the 2020 program were the following speakers addressing the noted topics:
- Presidential Leadership: Leadership in Turbulent Times
Douglas Brinkley, Ph.D., Professor of History, Rice University and CNN Presidential Historian
- Leadership in National Security: The Links Between National Security and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Jeremy Bash, NBC Security Analyst and Former Chief of Staff for the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense
- Leadership in the Judicial Branch: Delivering Equal Justice Under the Law
Justice Ming W. Chin, Associate Justice California Supreme Court
- Leadership in Business: The “Bottom Line” in Achieving Success in the Real World
Dorian Daley, J.D., Oracle Vice President and General Counsel
- Leadership in Competitive Sports: Developing Character and Conviction
Coach Herman Edwards, Arizona State University Head Football Coach, NFL Coach and Player and ESPN analyst
- Leadership in the Media: Journalism as Civic Leadership
David Gergen, J.D., Presidential Advisor to four U.S. Presidents and CNN Political Analyst
- Leadership in Congress: Forging Consensus and Building Coalitions
U.S. Representative Joshua Gottheimer (D-NJ)
U.S. Representative Thomas Reed (R-NY)
U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) as Moderator
- Leadership and the Budget; Striving for Responsible Leadership
Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
- Leadership in the Military: From Commitment to Command
Admiral Bill McRaven, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
- Leadership in Education: Developing and Delivering Life-Long Learning Skills
President Janet Napolitano, University of California System and Former Secretary of Homeland Security
- Community Leadership: Becoming Effective Change Makers
Fernando Torres-Gil, Ph.D., U.S. Assistant Secretary on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Leadership and Race: How to Develop Leadership that Contributes to Social Justice
Chris Womack, Executive Vice President Southern Company
Students further completed sixteen hours of course work by submitting written deliverables based on the lessons they learned from each speaker. Students also made two presentations along with a written report on the Panetta Institute’s 2020 Youth Civic Engagement Survey, and a final written leadership proposal wherein student body officers described their goals for the 2020-2021 school year and the methods they planned to use to achieve those goals. Upon successful completion of the program, participating student body leaders received three units of academic credit and a Certificate of Completion issued by the Panetta Institute. The Leadership Seminar is a California State University accredited course. The total number of student participants to date is 549.
The 2020 student participants:
Name | Institutional Affiliation | Title |
Cynella Aghasi | CSU Stanislaus | ASI President |
Jasmine Bhardwaj | CSU Monterey Bay | AS President |
Andrew Carrillo | San Francisco State University | ASI President |
Diana Chavez | CSU Los Angeles | ASI President |
Vanessa Chicaiza | CSU Bakersfield | ASI President |
Zobeida Delgadillo | San José State University | AS President |
Jeremiah Finley | Humboldt State University | AS President |
Alondra Esquivel Garcia | California State Student Assn. | Student Representative |
Michael Garrett | CSU San Marcos | ASI President |
Vanessa Groppetti | Dominican University | AS President |
Bre Holbert | Chico State University | AS President |
Christian Holt | San Diego State University | AS President |
Melissa Kadar | Sonoma State University | AS President |
Maryana Khames | CSU Student Trustee | Student Trustee |
Shayna Lynch | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | ASI President |
Evelyn Campos Martinez | CSU Dominguez Hills | ASI Director of Students |
Noah Marty | CSU Sacramento | ASI President |
Roselva Merida | CSU Northridge | AS President |
Graciela Moran | CSU San Bernardino | ASI President |
Sophie Nguyen | CSU Channel Islands | ASI President |
Omar Prudencio-Gonzalez | CSU Long Beach | ASI President |
Hisham Qutob | CSU Fresno | ASI President |
Marcus Reveles | CSU Fullerton | ASI President |
Euridice Sanchez-Martinez | CSU East Bay | ASI President |
Lucille Yu | Cal Poly Pomona | ASI President |
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