Pandemic, Equity Among Topics Addressed at SDSU Leadership Summit 2022

A global health crisis and racial inequality are forcing the need to rewrite the rules on leadership. Aspiring young leaders will be at the forefront of this change while they also navigate the multidimensional impact of the pandemic.

To help inspire tomorrow’s leaders in embracing these challenges, the 13th annual San Diego State University Leadership Summit will address topics on adapting to change, appreciation for differences in perspectives and creating a vision.  

“There is a crisis of leadership in the world today,” said Randy Timm, associate vice president and dean of students. “From pandemics, to insurrections and racial inequality, the challenges leaders are faced with is daunting. Leadership development is a personal journey, a constant learning process for individuals to understand where growth is needed.”   

Timm has served as a co-chair for the Leadership Summit since its creation. Over the last decade, Timm said he has seen how students have been shaped by their summit experiences and created a leadership community that extends far beyond the university.     

“Working with other leaders to develop yourself through professional development is empowering and can be life-changing,” he added. “The leadership summit is a chance for students to engage in this development.”     

“[We want our participants to] recognize that there is always an opportunity to grow throughout their leadership journey,” he said. “We are always learning and growing. We have to be confident and stay humble while being careful not to lean into imposter syndrome.”  

“Leadership: It Starts With Us” is the theme for this year’s event, to be held Feb. 19. SDSU students will have the option to attend either virtually or in-person at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. 

The summit is hosted by the Glazer Center for Leadership and Service under the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity. 

Even during the pandemic, the summit has flourished. Last year, over 600 participants representing 58 organizations, schools and institutions participated in the conference in a virtual setting. There were a total of 23 states and five countries represented.

This year’s keynote speaker is California Insurance Commissioner and SDSU alumnus Ricardo Lara. Lara previously served in the State Legislature, representing Assembly District 50 from 2010 to 2012 and Senate District 33 from 2012 to 2018. Lara earned a B.A. in journalism and Spanish with a minor in Chicano Studies. He also served the Associated Students as executive vice president during the 1997-98 academic year.  

Other speakers include Virginia Loh-Hagan, director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Resource Center, Radhika Seshan, associate vice president of career relations & strategic partnerships, and Associated Students President Ashley Tejada. 

Summit organizers say the day will introduce how undergraduate students from around the world can identify skills needed to embark on a successful leadership journey.  

New This Year

“We never envisioned hosting the conference virtually, but we learned a great deal about adaptability last year,” said Chelsea Lombrozo, assistant director of the Glazer Center. “In 2021, the conference was held entirely virtual and was a major success with a total of 23 states and  five countries represented. This year, we will reach a wider audience by providing the option for all conference participants to join us again virtually.”  

SDSU students can join either in-person or virtually, while non-SDSU students are invited to attend virtually due to COVID-19 protocols. For in-person SDSU participants, registration includes an SDSU embossed padfolio and lunch.   The SDSU Leadership Summit is hosted by the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service under the Division of Student Affairs + Campus Diversity.    

Learn more about the conference and register.