Quality takes on new meaning for student leader

The Midland Lutheran College Student Leadership Team will host the college’s fourth Fall Leadership Conference on Friday, Oct. 30. Each conference focuses on one of the college’s core values and how it relates to leadership. This year, the Student Leadership Team is focusing on the core value of quality. 

Conference co-coordinator Jordan Meyer, a junior Business Management/Accounting major from St. Paul, Neb., said he has always been around quality.

“To me, quality means conducting myself with integrity regardless of the circumstance or people involved,” Meyer said. “In other words, if my actions and words would disappoint my Grandma, then I’m probably not acting with quality.

“Quality has been important in my life in many ways—as you can apply it to nearly every area of life. I’ve been blessed to have been surrounded by the epitome of quality every day as I grew up—my parents. From my parents, I’ve learned that being a quality person involves being concerned about something - or someone - other than myself, whether that is my community, my campus or my family.”

Being around quality is one thing, but coordinating a conference is a whole new ballgame, Meyer said.

“The position entails organizing a conference for 140 Midland student leaders centered on a MLC core value,” he said. “The conference features five break-out sessions, in addition to one keynote speaker, all focusing on various aspects of quality as it relates to leadership.”

Meyer was in charge of maintaining contact with break-out session speakers and helped with other conference logistics.

Past conferences focused on Midland’s core values, however, this year Meyer and the team worked to include an additional component.

“The FLC is different this year than in previous years in that it is more student-friendly,” Meyer said. “All sessions will be facilitated under one roof, and our line-up of speakers features some extremely dynamic presenters.

“Some of the topics being presented at the FLC include quality as it relates to each of the following topics: citizenship, faith, finances, health, and relationships.”

Meyer is involved in many other projects that need to be done in a quality manner, including Blue Key Honor Society, PBL-SIFE, the Anderson Leadership program, serving as academic mentor for the Learning Community and serving as a Teammates Youth Mentor. He is also a stand-out student, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

“When it comes to my studies, quality effort is something that is always very important to me,” Meyer said. “I’ve always been taught that one of the only things I can control is my effort. While the outcome I desire may not always occur, I am happy with myself knowing I always give it a quality effort.” 

The Fall Leadership Conference is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in Swanson Hall. The event will feature keynote speaker Kevin Pringle of As One Ministries.