Above: The annual MGCCC Student Leadership Conference was held on October 29 at the Hospitality and Resort Management Center in Biloxi. Dr. Rodney D. Bennett, chief executive officer and principle educational officer of The University of Southern Mississippi, at left, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president, right, also offered advice on leadership skills during her welcome at the conference.

More than 120 students from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College attended the 2015 Student Leadership Conference on Thursday, October 29, at the Hospitality and Resort Management Center on the Jefferson Davis Campus. The annual conference includes student leaders from the college’s Student Government Association, Reflections Team and club officers.

Dr. Rodney D. Bennett, chief executive officer and principle educational officer of The University of Southern Mississippi, was the keynote speaker. During his speech, Bennett use the number 10 to explain the important factors in leadership – 10 ideals of leadership, 10 key factors in a leader’s life and 10 tools to becoming a great leader. He also said that students should begin right now in setting their standards for themselves and others around them if they wanted to be leaders in the future.

More than 120 students leaders from all MGCCC campuses and centers attended the annual MGCCC Student Leadership Conference.

Appointed to the presidency by the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, Bennett is responsible for every facet of institutional operations and must shape USM’s educational policy and academic standards in cooperation with the state commissioner of Higher Education. Under Bennett’s leadership, USM has invested in new faculty positions, expanded coastal operations, and worked to increase access to quality education and research programs to serve the needs of the state of Mississippi and beyond. Moving forward, his key institutional priorities include improving quality across the board while ensuring student success; expanding enrollment strategies; enhancing academic instruction; fostering greater focus on research; bolstering economic and community partnerships; and maximizing human potential.

The all-day event also included concurrent sessions provided by USM faculty and administrators on Tools for Achieving Greatness; Redefining Student Leadership in College and Beyond; Study Habits, Learning Styles and the Dangers of Perfectionism; Leading Yourself to Success; How to Fund Your Future; Models of Leadership in Literature; and Branding Yourself for the Future.

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