Conference Theme & Sessions

Our 2026 conference theme is Rooted in Healthy Leadership, for students ready to place burnout and short-term fixes with sustainable, values-centered practices. Through interactive workshops, evidence-based sessions, and peer-powered conversations, we explore emotional intelligence, boundary-setting, team wellbeing, and ethical decision-making. Participants will gain practical tools, a clear action plan, and a supportive network to help them lead with greater clarity, resilience, and impact.

Our keynote session will be with Nora Zarvos of Zarvos Leadership & Coaching. There will be 3 breakout sessions featuring Amanda Bonilla, David Gibson, and Laura Henderson over the following topics.

• Nourish to Lead: An 8-Ingredient Strategy for Transformation
  • Recipes were once prescriptions for healing, and just like nourishing food supports a healthy body, intentional practices support transformative leadership. In this workshop, we’ll explore an eight-ingredient “recipe” for transforming your health, your life, and your leadership. Participants will receive a hands-on workbook and eight simple, bite-size practices to help create meaningful personal change and transformational leadership skills.

• It Starts with You

  • Are you operating at your full potential as a leader? Whether you're aware of it or not, you have the power to impact those around you. Impactful leadership is far greater than a title or a position; it’s more about influencing change. You're not just reacting to the world around you…You're intentionally shaping it.

    In this session, we will explore how to consciously and confidently own the influence that you have. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, you'll learn how to discover the leader within you, how to become more intentional with how you show up in the world, and how to inspire others to take action.

• Developing Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership

  • This workshop focuses on emotional intelligence (EI), a critical skill for effective leaders. We'll delve into the four components of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Students will learn how to recognize and manage their own emotions, empathize with others, and build stronger relationships, all of which are essential for inspiring and leading a team.

Accessibility & Accommodations

Marian University strives to create a welcoming and accessible environment for our students, faculty, staff, and guests. If there are certain accommodations or support you need access to for active engagement in this event, please let us know in your registration form or reach out to Marisa at mzambrano@marian.edu.

Attire

Dress for the day is casual due to the volunteer projects in the morning. 

Special Thanks

Thank you to the many departments who help plan and facilitate this event, including: Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine, University Ministry, the Marian Leadership Initiative, Student Success and Engagement, and the Unity Center.