BSU Hosts Panel on Leadership Challenges During Times of Change

Inspirational voices spoke up when both community and student leaders gathered on Tuesday, April 5 at Bemidji State University’s American Indian Resource Center to discuss the challenges of leadership during times of change.

The past two years have challenged individual people and communities in various ways. Living through a pandemic is just the tip of the iceberg of what leaders in Bemidji and at BSU are facing. The panel called for understanding and explored how they achieve that as leaders, even if challenges like COVID-19 arise.

“It’s about communities, it’s about listening, and it’s about hearing, and then putting it in a perspective of reaching those who need to be heard,” said Bemidji City Councilor Audrey Thayer.

“Being the leader, part of that recipe is indeed ensuring that we are inclusive, which means that we are trying our best to connect and realizing that we may fail,” said Steven Parker, BSU and Northwest Technical College’s Campus Diversity Officer.

Attendees at the panel ranged from young to old, but the difference in years didn’t deter people from finding inspiration in the panelists’ answers. Participants shared personal yet insightful anecdotes, displaying the strong leadership in both BSU and the city itself.

The panel kicked off the annual Student Achievement Conference, which took place Wednesday, April 6 at the BSU campus.