By Emily Howard, Staff Writer
Ouachita has an established custom of inviting prospective high-school students who have demonstrated leadership aptitude to visit campus and meet with faculty, alumni and student leaders.
Dr. Keldon Henley, Ouachita Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chief of Staff, helped organize this event, known as the President’s Leadership Forum (PLF), and discussed some of the experiences shared at the event. The overall goal of the event is to allow prospective students the chance to meet other potential future tigers while also getting to experience the Ouachita community and engaging with current students, faculty, staff and young alumni.
“This year, over two hundred high school seniors attended at the invitation of Dr. Ben Sells,” Henley said. “As a key component of PLF, 27 Ouachita alumni under the age of 30 returned to campus to discuss leadership development, their college experiences, and the work or graduate studies they’re undertaking now.”
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College is a time where students have the opportunity to further develop their leadership skills. “Ouachita has been described as a leadership laboratory,” Henley said. “Intentionally focusing on equipping and developing the next cycle of leaders for the campus is vital and enriches the Ouachita experience for all.”
This event is an exclusive event reserved for high school seniors who receive an invitation from Sells. Mitzi Overturf, Guest Experience Coordinator, works on campus organizing visit events for prospective students and was a key component to the organization and flow of PLF this year.
“The President’s Leadership Forum at Ouachita Baptist University connects exceptional high school seniors to Ouachita’s faculty, student leaders and young alumni who have achieved early success in their post-college lives,” Overturf said. “Together, they examine the significance of character and integrity among leaders, the responsibilities and functions of leadership and emerging challenges and opportunities for leaders in the 21st century.”
PLF is a large event and it takes a lot of effort, time, work and people to make it all come together as nicely as it does each year.
“This year, 200 high school seniors were in attendance,” Overturf said. ““More than 150 current students volunteered as campus hosts and current student panelists to provide worship music or assist with set up and greeting as guests arrived on campus. 27 young alumni returned on Sunday evening to participate, and several staff and faculty members were involved throughout the planning, preparing, and completing of the event.”
PLF has a schedule each year that allows for a smooth-flowing event and overall good guest experience. Beginning on Sunday evening, the guests checked in at JPAC where they visited with their admissions counselor and campus host. Due to the nice weather, there were also games on Cone Bottoms lawn. Then, there was a “Dinner and Welcome” session held in the Walker Conference Center, where each attendee had a young alumni table host.
“The first breakout sessions were held at various locations across campus with young alumni, a faculty member and a current student panel,” Overturf said, “Then returning to Walker, this year Dr. Sells allowed each attendee to complete a leadership assessment prior to their arrival which was then discussed. The last session on Sunday evening was Spiritual Leadership held in Berry Chapel where Dr. Hardin shared a word and worship studies students led the room in several songs.”
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Both days consisted of events and a variety of educational activities for the attendees to participate in and benefit from.
“Monday morning began with breakfast and an interview with Secretary of State Cole Jester,” Overturf said. “Dr. Sells then led a case study produced by Harvard Business School. The third session of the day was preparing for the infamous Last Leader Standing, and PLF tradition, which concludes the formal programming. The event concluded with lunch in Walker and a few final leadership reflections as a way to wrap up the two days.”
PLF is a unique experience for exceptional prospective students to join the Ouachita community for a couple of days and feel how it would be to become a Tiger.