ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith among featured speakers this fall

The Kent State University Center for Student Involvement's
fall 2015 Leadership Speaker Series features industry
leaders, including featured commentator and columnist for
ESPN Stephen A. Smith.

Kent State University’s Center for Student Involvement launched its fall 2015 Leadership Speaker Series on Sept. 9. Kent State faculty, staff and students will be able to hear from industry leaders, including featured commentator and columnist for ESPN Stephen A. Smith, free of charge. The series is part of Kent State’s leadership development program.

“Leadership is something that never goes out of style,” says Della Marie Marshall, senior associate director of Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for students to come out and interact with industry leaders.”

Marshall and her team planned the series months in advance.

“We evaluated last year’s program by looking at social media comments and asking participants who else they would like to see and why,” Marshall says. “We asked for suggested topics and presenters. Then we took that feedback and tried to find speakers to address those topics.”

On Sept. 9, the series kicked off with Odell Bizzell II’s speech on making an impact. Bizzell’s speech focused on how students should build a higher standard of impact as they pursue their dreams, goals and ambitions.

“Part of being a leader is wanting to make an impact,” Marshall says. “By wanting to make an impact, sometimes your leadership skills will surface without you even realizing it.”

On Sept. 14, Tawan Perry, the second speaker of the series, discussed navigating the college experience. Captain Negron of the Marine Corps talked about the art of influencing and directing others on Sept. 21.

On Oct. 5 in the Governance Chambers at 7 p.m., Jeff Chang will speak about the colorization of America. According to the 15th-day census data, Kent State’s international enrollment is now topping 3,000 students from 111 countries, a growth of 348 percent since 2008. Marshall says they wanted to bring in a speaker who can address colorization so international students can learn more about the United States and its education system.

On Oct. 19 in the Kent Student Center, Room 310 at 7 p.m., Kristen Hadeed will discuss how to go from hitting the bar to setting the bar. Hadeed is well known for starting a multimillion-dollar corporation when she was a junior in college. Her lecture focuses on how, as a young business woman, she went through a lot of ups and downs, but to succeed she had to reevaluate her priorities and the people she kept in her inner circle.

The last day of the speaker series is on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. Stephen A. Smith, featured commentator and columnist for ESPN, will discuss adversity and how students can keep their heads in the game.

The full schedule is listed below

• Jeff Chang: Colorization of America, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Governance Chambers
• Joshua Fredenburg: 14 Highly Effective Leadership Principles, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in Kent Student Center, Room 310
• Jason Johnson: Series of Inconvenient Movements, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in Kent Student Center, Room 306
• Al Riddick: Financial Fitness and Spend Your Way to Debt-Free Living, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Kent Student Center, Room 319
• Kristen Hadeed: From Hitting the Bar to Setting the Bar, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in Kent Student Center, Room 310
• Stephen A. Smith: Adversity and Keeping Your Head in the Game, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva
  

Additional details for the Leadership Speaker Series can be found at www.kent.edu/event-tags/speakers-and-lecturers.