European Campuses LEADS Retreat

On the weekend of May 14, 30 students of the Webster LEADS leadership program from the Geneva, Leiden and Vienna campuses met up for the annual joint European student leadership retreat.

This year a new location was selected -- a 16th century villa perched amongst the Tuscan hills just outside of Pistoia, near Florence, Italy. Geneva Professor, and Head of Photography Department, Francesco Arese Visconti comes from the region and has based a photography workshop at this location since 2007. With his help the LEADS students were able to join their photographer colleagues for an extended weekend.

The full program included icebreakers, team-building and skill building activities (role-play, orienteering, vision boards), art projects, reflection time and planning for the improvement of the campus communities through engaged student leadership. The retreat included a half-day walking tour of the Renaissance city of Florence, considered one of Italy’s most beautiful cities and art capital of the world. Activities were led by Student Affairs staff and senior student leaders.

Vienna freshman Marie Theres Huber left the retreat plugged in to the Webster world: “I left with the feeling that I am not only a student of Webster Vienna, but part of an amazing big network.”

Leiden participant Stefania Lessen was hopeful the retreat would lead to big things: “It was nice to meet other students like us and make new friends and hopefully we can build better relationships with the other campuses,” she said.

Geneva freshman student Etsehiwot Negash posted on social media: “I got the amazing opportunity to travel to three Italian cities- Pistoia, Pisa and Florence for the Webster Leads Retreat with some of the coolest people I have ever met. Every minute was a blast. This was such an amazing way to begin the summer! Feel so proud to be a leader and part of the Webster community!”