On October 22-25, 2025, twelve Students in Technology, Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) students presented at the Technology Student Association (TSA) Leadership Training Conference in Orlando, Florida. The TSA Leadership Training Conference focuses on preparing student leaders to successfully lead a TSA chapter, work in teams, deliver on project and timelines, and learn from advisor training workshops.

During their time at the TSA Leadership Training, the STARS students each mentored teams of over 20 middle and high school students from various schools and backgrounds, fostering creativity, enthusiasm, and engagement through their leadership.

“As I worked with the students, I had to learn how to meet them at their level and develop new ways to build their enthusiasm for the team. It made me realize the crucial part leaders play in unlocking the potential of their team members,” said Political Science and Media Communication Studies student Lizzy Ochoa.

The STARS students led several leadership presentations, including how to present yourself to others to prioritizing teamwork from a leadership standpoint. These presentations also invited the STARS students to reflect on their own leadership skills and how this connects to their own careers and the kind of leaders they want to be.

“Even though each student looked up to me and respected me as their leader, I led in a way where I treated each person with care and made them feel like I was simply a member of the team with them,” said Information Technology major Javin Vance.

Looking ahead, as these STARS students think about their own professional endeavors, they are also now thinking about the intersection between their desired career paths and the leaders they desire to be, much of which they realized at the TSA Leadership Training.

“I really love working with kids, and from this conference, just the relationships you can build in such a short time are always amazing,” said STARS student Ava Downes.

After attending such a conference, the STARS students also emphasized the significance of working with the next generation and how overcoming working with large numbers of people, or people different from yourself, is worth it for this outcome.

“It reestablished my hope that creativity is timeless and will always find its place in future generations. We are on the road to great innovations thanks to the students who dive into their technological passions,” said Ochoa.

Among the attending students were Bella Bozied, Ayva Culp, Heath Davis, Ava Downes, Sophia Ferraro, Lizzy Ochoa, Orion Qualls, Tanya Raphael, Jai Reed, Julia Sveen, Javin Vance, and Owen Van Lenten.

Associate Dean Ebe Randeree led the team to Orlando. STARS has been working with TSA since 2008 and has been conducting Leadership workshops every year. Randeree also delivered a presentation to new teachers on “Preparing Tech students to meet Employer Needs.”