“So, leadership, eh?” Maren Ord said as she waited for the podium to be removed from the stage before performing for an audience of 1,700 youth leaders.

The Canadian singer, whose first album debuted when she was 17, performed as part of the sixth annual leadership conference hosted by Utah Valley State College.

Bruce Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership at UVSC, which presented the conference, said it was designed to give students an understanding of the importance of leadership.

“This entire day is designed to give you a new set of skills for leadership,” he told the audience of junior high, high school and college students.

Every high school in Utah was invited to attend the conference, Jackson said, and about 40 participated. Most were from around Orem, but some came from as far away as Green River.

Jake Malone, Brandon Branch and Justin Procarioni, all sophomore football players at Carbon High School in Price, said it took them nearly two hours to get to the conference.

Procarioni said he wanted to come to the conference because he is in a sports marketing class and wanted to learn more about leadership.

“You need leadership to be successful in whatever you’re doing,” he said.

“Our football team could use some,” Branch added.

LaVell Edwards, former BYU head coach, was one of the keynote speakers and one of the main attractions for these Price football players.

“It’s pretty cool listening to LaVell,” Malone said.

Edwards told the students attitude and preparation were key to becoming successful.

“The thing that stands out more than any one thing,” he said, “is the people that stand out and have the most success are not always the most talented.”

He told a story about Steve Young, who as a high school football player struggled with drop-back passing. After five days of being in the program it seemed that Young would never be a quarterback for BYU. Then he said Young would practice passing every day by himself. Now he’s in the Hall of Fame.

After Edwards spoke the students separated into smaller groups and participated in classes such as: “I am Sovereign: The Secret of Personal Leadership,” “Leadership Lessons From a Navy Top Gun,” and “Leadership in the Movies.” Professionals and students from many different professions taught the classes.

Lisa White, 19, a sophomore studying leadership and psychology at UVSC, said the Center for the Advancement of Leadership has helped her focus on the future, and she has been able to apply the skills she learned to her daily life.

She said if there was one thing she hoped the students take away from the conference it was to recognize they have potential.
Copyright Brigham Young University 5 Oct 2005