KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 6, 2025

Kennesaw State University student leaders attended the Leaders in Kennesaw (LinK) Leadership Weekend in September at the YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Allatoona.

Kennesaw State University student leaders attended the Leaders in Kennesaw (LinK) Leadership Weekend in September at the YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Allatoona.

Over 80 student leaders representing 55 departmental programs and Registered Student Organizations across campus attended the unforgettable experience. The purpose of LinK is to provide comprehensive, inclusive leadership development training that integrates personal and team leadership exploration, equitable practices, and community building.

To kick off the retreat, the Departments of Student Leadership and Student Engagement and Support hosted a luncheon that included remarks from President Kathy S. Schwaig.

"LinK 25 is centered on collaboration, on reflection, on shared purpose, and sustained action," said President Schwaig. "Every single one of those values, if you focus on them and not on the problem and how [you] can apply those values and the context of that issue, you are going to grow in confidence, you're going to grow in ability, and you'll also grow in the opportunities that you will be equipped with or that you'll be offered in the future."

Mellayne Richards and Grace Laurenceau are both members of the National Association of Black Accountants. They expressed their excitement about the opportunities to connect with other student leaders to learn from their experiences as well as grow their own. 

"You can get into a habit in college, or just life in general, of surrounding yourself with very like-minded people," said Sam Tyler, a Kennesaw Excellence Society member and Vice-President and Engineering Lead of the Aerial Robotics Competition Team. "LinK is an opportunity for all of the different student organizations and student leaders to come together and brainstorm about the next big things. Each person has opportunities and ideas that can change the world, but even more so when we come together as a group."

Angel Fortmann, who holds multiple leadership roles, including Director of Student Life for the Student Government Association and a Peer Health OWL with Health Promotion and Wellness, among others, shared her experience at LinK.

"The skill I learned at LinK was to trust more," Fortmann said. "A main lesson at LinK was about connectiveness and communication. I tend to overwork myself in hopes of not burdening others, so it was easy to listen and agree when the facilitators shared their hardships and mistakes, which were similar to mine. However, doing multiple activities that required relying on my team helped me realize that, although I mean well, I risk burnout and endanger my organization by not trusting them in their roles, initiatives, and ideas. I was more helpful, and my team was stronger, when we all took a step back, listened to ideas, waited, and then helped, rather than trying to immediately take charge or suggest ideas all at once."

Along with the student leaders, 21 Kennesaw State University staff members attended the retreat as facilitators to assist with learning and leading activities, such as a photo scavenger hunt and a 60-second elevator pitch.

"These three days represent the culmination of hours upon hours of work, so I am grateful to these folks and their dedication to student leadership," said Joshua Burns, Program Coordinator for Student Leadership. "As leadership educators like to point out, leadership development is a lifelong journey, and this was just one exciting step towards it!"

Students interested in developing their leadership skills should contact the Department of Student Leadership to learn more.

-Story by Meghan Cooper