Room: Building 3, Room 219
What is a Student Trustee?
Presenters: Ferris McEvoy, Treasurer of the Upsilon Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and 2026-2027 Student Trustee at John A. Logan College
Your school elects a Student Trustee to serve on the College Board of Trustees. What does that mean? What could it mean for you? This forum will include a presentation and discussion about the Student Trustee role, governance, and taking student leadership to the next level. This conversation will continue in Round 2 as we discuss the skills necessary for people who are interested in becoming a Student Trustee.
Themes: Leadership
Room: Building 3, Room 223
Leadership With Receipts: Prove What You Learned
Presenter: Brennon Hightower, Director of Student Life at Parkland College
Leadership experience is only valuable when students can articulate what they learned from it. In this educational forum, students will learn to identify, document, and communicate leadership development through meaningful evidence they can use for careers, scholarships, interviews, etc. Students will leave with a “Leadership Evidence Portfolio” list that they can further develop.
Themes: Leadership, Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 308
What Kind of Leader Are You? Finding and Flexing Your Leadership Style
Presenter: Abigail Swidergal, Associate Professor and Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Black Hawk College
Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. Explore different leadership styles, identify your own tendencies through a quick self-assessment, and discover when your natural approach works and when to flex it. Through real world student leadership scenarios, you’ll gain practical strategies for communicating, collaborating, and leading more intentionally in any role.
Themes: Leadership, Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 310
Bonding on a Budget
Presenters: Miles Moy, Chapter President; Gabrial Kruse, Chapter Office; Muhammad Bazil, Chapter Officer; Fatima Rodriguez, Chapter Member; Kira Orgil,
Chapter Member; and Danielle Sy,Prospective Member, of the Phi Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa from Harper College
Due to budget cuts, the feasibility of attending Catalyst seems unlikely. Therefore, what’s an alternative way we can celebrate our achievements together as a chapter? This fall semester, we want to explore our options while also welcoming opportunities to incorporate fundraisers that can help support chapter activities and events.
Themes: Leadership, PTK Programs or Opportunities, Fellowship, Chapter/Organization Operations
Room: Building 3, Room 312
Flexible Success: A New Perspective
Presenter: Juan Rodriguez, Projects Chair of the Chi Upsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at McHenry County College
Success is not about following one path. Explore a toolbox of practical tools, strategies, and new perspectives for adapting to change and discovering new possibilities. Through interactive activities and discussion, learn how flexibility can open doors, reveal opportunities, and redefine what success looks like for you.
Themes: Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 316
Lance’s Closet: Empowering Student Success Through Professional Attire
Presenters: Samira Yescas, President; Vaneeza Fahmi, Vice President of Fellowship; Allison Bolisay, Vice President of Leadership; Ashley Wencka, Vice President of Service; and Alex Odo, Public Relations Officer in the Alpha Alpha Pi Chapter from the College of Lake County
Lance's Closet is a service initiative dedicated to supporting students at the College of Lake County by providing free professional clothing for presentations, job interviews, career fairs, and other academic or professional opportunities. The clothing is collected through generous donations from community members, faculty, staff, and students. By increasing access to professional attire, the project helps reduce financial barriers, build confidence, and promote student success. Lance's Closet created a positive impact on campus by ensuring that all students have the resources they need to present themselves professionally and pursue their educational and career goals.
Theme: Service
Room: Building 3, Room 314
AI For What’s Next
Presenters: Mohammed Ayman, Vice President of Honors in Action; Dhanvi Khandal, Chapter President; Ru R, Advisory Chair and Northern District Vice President of the Illinois Region of Phi Theta Kappa, of the Phi Beta Chapter at the College of DuPage.
In this interactive session we'll share our go-to tools for AI, and how we're using (and not using) them to study smarter, strengthen our chapters, and plan transfer and careers. Then we'll open the floor to exchange strategies and pitfalls.
Themes: Chapter/Organization Operations and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 315
Putting the COMMUNITY in Community College: From Campus to Community
Presenter: Anthony Law III, Associate Director of Student Engagement and Leadership at Carl Sandburg College
Explore how Carl Sandburg College’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion transforms community service into leadership, belonging, and student success. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, food pantries, and community organizations, students move beyond volunteering to become engaged leaders who IMPACT and INSPIRE the communities they call home.
Themes: Leadership, Service, Other Campus Programs, Fellowship, and Personal Development
Room: Building 4, Room 209
Portraits of Community College Student Leaders: Emerging Visions for the Future
Presenter: Samuel Kumi
In collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, a team of researchers from the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is interested in understanding the lived experiences of community college student leaders in Illinois. We are looking for student leaders to share their stories and explore how their identities intersect and influence their experiences, decision-making processes, and sense of belonging within the college community.
Themes: Leadership, Service, Other Campus Programs, Fellowship, and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 219
What is a Student Trustee? Part II: Skills Session
Presenter: Ferris McEvoy, Treasurer of the Upsilon Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and 2026-2027 Student Trustee at John A. Logan College
After you have developed an understanding of what a Student Trustee is and does, it is important to learn how to do it. This conversation builds on our conversation in Round 1 to identify the skills necessary for people who are interested in becoming a Student Trustee.
Themes: Leadership
Room: Building 3, Room 308
Tips and Tricks to Increasing Group and Event Participation
Presenter: Lisa Shumard-Shelton, Director of Student Life at Lake Land College
Know of a grassroots effort to increase crowd size? Have a success story on getting more applications? Come to this interactive session and be prepared to share your creative strategies and success stories for increasing club participation, event attendance, applications, and engagement. Let's learn from each other, swap ideas, and leave with some strategies to put into action.
Themes: Leadership and Membership Recruitment
Room: Building 3, Room 316
How Networking and Fellowship Can Catalyze Growth
Presenters: Hili Bareket, Northeastern Vice President of the Illinois Region of Phi Theta Kappa; and Lauren Benson, Central Vice President of the Illinois Region of Phi Theta Kappa
Using a mix of our own viewpoints and creative ideas, we will present on how networking and fellowship can catalyze leadership, professional, and personal growth for students.
Themes: Leadership, Fellowship, and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 310
How to Effectively Plan and Document a College Project (PTK Focus)
Presenter: Nevaeh San Nicolas, President of the Chi Kappa Chapter at Carl Sandburg College and Southern District Vice President of the Illinois Region of Phi Theta Kappa
This forum will focus on creating a timeline for chapters who are starting their college projects at different times of the year. Whether they start their project in January or August, we will demonstrate a timeline that suits the time they have to finish their project. This forum will also showcase chapters who have finished their project alongside different resources on the Phi Theta Kappa website. Finally, different methods for chapters to record and document their project progress will be introduced, in order for chapters to effectively assess their project.
Themes: Chapter/Organization Operations and Service
Room: Building 3, Room 312
Leading From Within: Anybody Can be a Leader
Presenter: Taylor Swanson, Regional President of the Illinois Region of Phi Theta Kappa
Everyone is a leader at some point. Learn adaptive leadership strategies for navigating uncertainty, building trust, and developing self‑awareness and resilience. Strong leadership habits support effective teams and personal growth.
Themes: Leadership and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 314
Discover Your Strengths & Personality Avatar
Presenter: Lisa Fortner, Educational Advisor and Success Coach at Black Hawk College Quad Cities Campus
Discover what makes you uniquely you! Explore your strengths, take a fun personality quiz, and see how your results connect to the qualities you bring to a team. Share ideas, participate in team activities, and reflect with your peers on what you learned about yourself and others.
Themes: Leadership and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 223
Campus To Career: Preparing Students to Thrive at Work (Part 2)
Presenter: Brennon Hightower, Director of Student Life at Parkland College
This educational forum is the second installment of the Campus to Career series, following Part 1 presented at the 2025 LIT Conference. While Part 1 focused on translating campus engagement into career readiness using NACE competencies, Part 2 explores sustaining, growing, and thriving after entering the workforce
Themes: Leadership and Personal Development
Room: Building 3, Room 315
Putting the COMMUNITY in Community College: From Campus to Community
Presenter: Anthony Law III, Associate Director of Student Engagement and Leadership at Carl Sandburg College
Explore how Carl Sandburg College’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion transforms community service into leadership, belonging, and student success. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, food pantries, and community organizations, students move beyond volunteering to become engaged leaders who IMPACT and INSPIRE the communities they call home.
Themes: Leadership, Service, Other Campus Programs, and Personal Development
Room: Building 4, Room 209
Portraits of Community College Student Leaders: Emerging Visions for the Future
Presenter: Samuel Kumi
In collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, a team of researchers from the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is interested in understanding the lived experiences of community college student leaders in Illinois. We are looking for student leaders to share their stories and explore how their identities intersect and influence their experiences, decision-making processes, and sense of belonging within the college community.
Themes: Leadership, Service, Other Campus Programs, Fellowship, and Personal Development