The University Programming and Activities Office will offer a Student Leadership Institute from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday in the Holmes Student Center’s Illinois Room.

Seven volunteer speakers, including two corporate guest speakers, will discuss various topics concerning future leadership in “the real world,” said UP&A Associate Director Felecia Thomas.

Robert Nelson, representative from Amoco Corporation, will be a featured speaker, while Sally Crawford, a representative of Crawford & Associates, Inc., will focus on developing future leaders.

“It is important to identify and develop students to be future leaders in the world,” Thomas said.

Thomas said freshmen need to start now to develop their leadership abilities because the future will demand leadership competency and students should use the advantage NIU offers.

Other speakers from campus include Steven Duchrow, activites adviser from NIU Program Production Services, UP&A Director Michelle Emmett, UP&A Coordinator Z Ahmad, Fabian Derozario, coordinator of Campus Recreation and Jennifer Brooks, Career Planning and Placement Center counselor.

Thomas said 71 students attended the conference last year and representatives from Procter & Gamble offered a $300 award to participating students.

This year, UP&A is expecting at least 130 people to attend the conference, Thomas said. Also, Amoco Corporation will give $300 leadership scholarship to NIU’s top leader, she said. Crawford & Associates, Inc. also will offer a monetary scholarship to a deserving student leader in prior and current leadership involvement, she said.

“The only thing that is confident in life is change. Therefore, we must prepare NIU students to be equipped for the changing roles within a leadership,” Thomas said.

Thomas suggested that students attend leadership conferences, get involved with student organizations, become a resident assistant, become a minority peer counselor, get involved in Student Association committees and get involved in university wide committees.

“I will guarantee a pleasurable dissimulation of useful information that will breed better leaderships,” Thomas said.

Amoco and Crawford will both look for opportunities to network with student participants for permanent job placement at the conference, Thomas said.

Brooks said the workshop is a good way to get students to think about life after school. “I think it is a great idea for students to take a part. Employers look for a lot of things in candidates and leadership skill is probably one of the most important qualities and potential.”