(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Nov. 17, 2017) - - - Sixty-two high school students recently attended Columbia State Community College's 2017 Student Leadership Summit where they had the opportunity to learn new skills and build upon previous knowledge to become a better leader.

The theme of this year's summit, "Student Leaders and a Recommended Set of Skills to be Successful" was structured with a focus on digital literacy, communication, problem solving, entrepreneurship, team-building, emotional intelligence, global citizenship and leadership. The students in attendance were selected by their schools' teachers, counselors and principals and represented 12 public, private and homeschool institutions within the college's nine-county service area.

"The conversation has always included a question, 'Are leaders born or made?'" said Dr. Christa Martin, Columbia State assistant to the president for Access and Diversity. "At the Student Leadership Summit, we build upon that question and help strengthen these students. All can learn new skills and techniques and have the opportunity to provide feedback at each session to provide us with strong input on how we did - their comments are very important and we use those to enhance the next summit."

This year's summit included a variety of speakers, including keynote speaker Tunisia Scott, publisher, president and CEO of the Tennessee Minority Pages. Scott presented the students with different scenarios that challenged their leadership skills and encouraged them to be the best leader they can be. Scott urged students to explore their opportunities and proceed confidently in their endeavors. Other speakers included business leaders from surrounding communities and leaders from Columbia State student organizations.

The event, in its twelfth year, is sponsored by the Columbia State Office of Access and Diversity. The Office of Access and Diversity provides cultural and educational opportunities for a diverse student body, faculty and staff, to bridge the college and its communities together. To learn more about Access and Diversity, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Diversity.

Photo Caption: Students at the 2017 Student Leadership Summit learn about communication skills from Tunisia Scott, publisher, president and CEO of the Tennessee Minority Pages.

Photo Caption: Mike Corn, Columbia State baseball coach, spoke to students about how to boost self-esteem, invest in their futures and take action in their lives.