Ten UM students and three staff members attended the leadership summit at the Walt Disney World Resort.

A select group of UM students participated in various leadership programs hosted by the National Association for Campus Activities across the country this summer, including ten students who attended a summit at Walt Disney World. The programs, which are aimed at promoting student engagement on college campuses and fostering meaningful volunteer experiences, included trips to the S.P.I.R.I.T. (Spirit, Pride, Involvement, Relationships, Impact, Traditions) Institute at Clemson University and the Concert Management Institute at Marquette University.

Representating different UM organizations, the students were grateful for the opportunity to meet and share ideas with fellow students from universities across the country. “It really helped give me perspective into some of the challenges that other universities are facing and how we can improve student spirit at UM,” rising senior Nicholas Kaleel, chair of Category 5, a student organization dedicated to fostering student spirit at UM, said about the S.P.I.R.I.T. Institute in South Carolina he attended with about 150 others.

Ja’Shondra Pouncy, social justice education coordinator at UM’s Butler Center for Volunteer Service and Leadership Development, described the Summer Leadership Event at the Walt Disney World Resort as “a diverse group of individuals that all care about their work and are working towards a common goal.”

Students representing Hurricane Productions, the Homecoming Executive Committee, and Hurricane Productions Concerts also attended National Association for Campus Activities summer programs and hope their experiences will not only help them in their current roles but also when they graduate and become working professionals.