Southern Miss Student Participates in Regional Leadership Conference
Fri, 10/10/2014 - 11:37am | By: Hanna Knowles
Chiquita Thomas, a student in the School of Human Performance and Recreation, College of Health at The University of Southern Mississippi was selected to participate in The Southern District Future Professional Leadership Conference (FPLC), hosted by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America. Thomas was one of two students selected to represent the state of Mississippi at the conference held at Eastern Tennessee State University, Sept. 25-27.
“It is a great honor to be one of the few selected to attend the leadership conference,” said Dr. Robert Doan, assistant professor of human performance and recreation: physical education emphasis. “Chiquita, and the other future professionals chosen for the conference, will be in charge of providing leadership for the next generation for physical education teachers.”
The FPLC provides attendees with an opportunity to develop leadership and professional skills. Sessions included speed interviewing, resume building, a team building course and how to implement dance activities into the classroom.
“The best part for me was the speed interviewing,” said Thomas, a senior from Canton, Miss. majoring in sport coaching education and physical education. “They asked you a series of questions, you had two minutes to respond, and then you were critiqued.”
Thomas also collaborated with students from the 13 states in the southern district. “Everyone shared different ideas on how to become better as a group and how to improve our own clubs,” she said. “It was an amazing experience to be able to come together in the Southern District and to be able to meet everyone.”
“I would like to give thanks to Dr. Doan for nominating me and the university for giving me the opportunity and experience to help me become a better leader,” said Thomas. “Dr. Doan has inspired me to become more and be more involved. For this field, it's not about the money; it's more about the passion.”
For information about the School of Human Performance and Recreation, visit www.usm.edu/hpr.