Geneva Students Join Leadership Summit

Three student leaders from Webster Geneva Campus traveled to the main campus in St. Louis to take part in the 2019 Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS). Participants were selected from the entire Webster network, with 14 nationalities being represented over the cohort of 23 students present. The students representing Geneva were Yasmin Mehboob-Khan (from Italy, Pakistan and the UK), a Sophomore studying Media Communications, Martina Castiglioni (from Italy), a Junior studying International Relations, and Zain Abbas (from Pakistan), a Sophomore studying Computer Science.

The GSLS provides a unique opportunity for Webster University student leaders to gain knowledge and skills, and create positive change in a global environment. The summit includes interactive sessions focused on leadership development, communication, intercultural competency, and social responsibility, plus a local excursion, and outstanding networking with fellow students.

Yasmin Mehboob-Khan explained how the summit effected her, "The global student leadership summit was truly a life-changing experience. I met some of the most enriching people I have ever met - whether they were professors, advisors, or fellow students. We all engaged in activities that taught us about culture, common humanity, and how to become pioneers of positive change. As well as the incredible studies, the trip to St. Louis is something I am immensely grateful for. In only one week, our excursions and exploration turned a group of about 40 strangers into great friends, and showed us a beautiful side of the United States. The trip made me proud to be a part of the Webster University community, and showed me how exciting it is to be a global leader."

Martina Castiglioni said of her experience, "The Summit enabled me to connect with inspiring people from all over the world and learn more about myself. The activities we participated in throughout the week gave me the chance to reflect on my leadership style and how I can best apply my strengths to my role as leader, as well as to gather and discuss ideas on how to improve my home campus. What I found particularly stimulating was working on a case study with a team of students of mixed cultural and academic backgrounds; it challenged me to consider issues from a variety of different angles and to be more conscious of how my personal strengths come into play in the context of teamwork. Thanks to the GSLS, I can now truly feel part of the global Webster community. The relationships that we have created among all student participants, represent an extremely valuable resource from which we will always be able to draw for support and motivation in bringing forward a positive change in this world."

Zain Abbas said, "Learning, discovering and being able to meet new people is something that I look forward to, and this summit was the exact opportunity to combine these aspects and get to acquire them at once. It was an amazing week of meeting inspiring new people from around the world and learn from them. Learning from their perspectives gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself and polish my own skills. Working with different people with different backgrounds really opened my eyes and helped me reflect on my strengths and how I can use them to provide the best output in a team work. By working with these individuals I have learnt that compromising, accepting differences and including each other are the key elements to succeed as a team. No matter the background, culture or the mentality, everyone should work together and come on the same page by mutual understanding to acquire the common goal. GSLS gave me the opportunity to be truly part of the Webster University Community and bond relationships with all the students that I met. This will help me in a long term and provide me with the valuable resources for the betterment of my work towards the Webster Community."