ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, TED Talk leader Drew Dudley and many other leaders will be speaking on campus for Step It Up Leadership Week starting Feb. 23.
Leadership Week, Sponsored by the LEAD Scholars Academy is a week specifically established to recognize and develop leaders on campus. The week will begin Feb. 23 and run until the 27th.
“Leadership week is a LEAD Scholars Academy sponsored week of awesome keynote speakers, informational workshops, and fun events dedicated to bringing involvement and leadership awareness to the University of Central Florida and the surrounding community,” said Kyle Jaimes, the Leadership Development Director of the LEAD Scholars Academy.
The speakers this week include Stephen A. Smith, Kyle Bryant, Demetrius Frazier, Drew Dudley and Tiffany Moore Russell.
As stated in a previous KnightNews.com article, “Smith has been at ESPN since 2003 and regularly appears as a commentator on SportsCenter, along with his ESPN show First Take and The Stephen A. Smith show on Sirius XM radio.”
“Stephen A. Smith kind of came out of nowhere about a month ago! My advisor for Leadership week said that MSC was looking for collaborations to help get him here for Black History Month, the rest fell into place and we were able to get Mr. Smith to come speak,” Jaimes said.
Kyle Bryant is the founder and director of Ride Ataxia, a nation-wide bike ride fundraiser, according to the official leadership week website. His full bio can be found here.
“Luckily, Kyle Bryant was a keynote speaker we wanted from the beginning. His charisma and awesome personality really drew us toward having him as a speaker for the week,” Jaimes said.
Another keynote speaker, Drew Dudley, is known for his famous TED talks on leadership. Dudley is also the Founder & Chief Catalyst Nuance Leadership, Inc. His full bio can be found here.
“Drew Dudley kind of just came out of the blue when I was at my first Resident Assistant staff meeting and I was so surprised I hadn’t thought of him from the beginning. His TED talk was the first I had seen and remains my favorite,” Jaimes said.
Demetrius Frazier is a UCF Alum who works for the Golf Channel. “Mr. Frazier’s work experience and success in the corporate environments parallel with his personal successes, exemplifying his well roundedness and ability to thrive in a variety of settings,” the Leadership Week website said.
Tiffany Moore Russell is the Orange County Clerk of Courts. She will be part of a special event called Elect-Her, which empowers women in higher positions and leadership. According to her website, she was County Commissioner for District 6 for the past six and a half years.
Other Leadership Week events include Yoga After Dark, Verbal Judo, and Project HEAL Purple Ribbon Program Certification Courses.
Jaimes and his committee have been working since summer to make this week a reality. He exclaimed that his committee was fantastic. The departments working with LEAD to make this possible are the Multicultural Student Center, Residence Hall Association, Office of Student Involvement, Student Government Association, UCF Recreation and Wellness center and Athletics.
For a full list of events, visit the Leadership Week calendar.
Jaimes encourages students to come out and take advantage of all Leadership Week has to offer.
“This week is not for us, it is for the UCF student body, faculty, and anybody that wants to have a little fun!”
For more information on Leadership Week visit their official website, Facebook, or contact the Lead Scholars Academy at leadscholarsacademy@ucf.edu.
