Summit takes on leadership formation

Known for producing highly qualified professionals in the medical sciences, the recent Velezian Summit underscored leadership development for its students.

The summit of Velez College last August 18 aimed to holistically inspire and pursue leadership formation of their students.

This year’s summit was attended by around 600 students enrolled in Nursing, Medical Technology, Physical Occupational Therapy, and Arts and Sciences.

The Velezian Summit evolved from a team building activity exclusively for class and department officers into a leadership formation activity involving the student body.

“We do not only forge leaders who are elected because we believe everyone has the capacity to lead and learn,” said Supreme Student Council (SSC) adviser Ebenezer Manzano.

Inspirational talks were given by speakers from the health, media, government, youth and business sectors.

According to James Salomon, SSC secretary, the forum gave the students a wider perspective on relevant issues across diverse topics.

“Leadership should not be confined to one area so that these officers who are already exposed to student-type of leadership would also know about it from different aspects,” said Salomon.

The speakers include Rico Lucena, news anchor of ABS-CBN Cebu; GMA artist Mikael Daez; Gawad Kalinga Executive Director Jose Louis Oquiñena; Special Concerns Undersecratary Jose Mari Oquiñena, Dr. Reynette Ligaray, Philippine Youth Ambassador James Salomon, Rappler’s TechRap producer Michael Josh Villanueva, National Youth Commissioner Erwin Andaya and Ludwig Federical, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Cebu.

Undersecretary Oquiñena said campus politics play an important role in molding future leaders.

Campus politics is like an amateur basketball game. The real thing is government politics, said Usec. Oquiñena.

“Leadership is a posture of your heart, caring for others and listening to others, we should build a campus that’s inclusive so students would take in mind to run for service and not for the position,” Oquiñena said.

Freshman physical therapy student Axel Je Sarpamones once thought leadership was only for the popular students.

Sarpamones describes himself as a wallflower shying away from school activities while in high school.

Going after his passion by participating in the school paper Vital Signs and the dance troupe, college life has opened doors for Sarpamones.

“Passion-you release it to pursue it,” Sarpamones said taking inspiration from Usec. Oquiñena relating that a family name or fame does not automatically make one a leader.

The journey of every medical student towards reaching the summit is a grueling climb filled with sleepless nights, stress and oftentimes, disappointments.

For Jivan Cañete, a first year Medical Technology student, the inputs from the summit gave him an extra dose of optimism and motivation to pursue his studies and dreams in life. /Christine M. Estrella, UP Intern