Cadets and faculty from over 18 military institutions and academies across the country will meet at Virginia Tech from March 23-25 for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets 2011 Leadership Conference.

The conference will focus on topics related to professional development and how individuals can prepare themselves to overcome challenges they may face as leaders. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in plenary sessions designed to expand their thinking about personal development.

As part of the conference events, The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will hold a formal retreat ceremony at the flag pole on Upper Quad at 4:45 p.m. on March 23. The regiment will be formed between Lane, Brodie, and Rasche Halls. The Color Guard will lower the flag, Skipper, the corps cannon, will fire, and the Highty-Tighties, the regimental band, will play. All are welcome to come view this event.

Former Sen. Bill Bradley, Rhodes Scholar and former NBA player, will speak to the entire regiment and all visiting guests at the Cutchins Distinguished Lecture at Virginia Tech on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Burruss Hall Auditorium. The Cutchins Distinguished Lecture is sponsored by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Rice Center for Leader Development and the Pamplin College of Business. The lecture is open to the public at no charge and no tickets are required. Parking information is available online.

“The purpose of a leadership conference is to get cadets with a lot of different backgrounds and leadership styles together so that they can share their experiences and find ways to improve their personal leadership model. We are going to have students and faculty from all over the country including the service academies and senior and junior military colleges. My goal is to ensure that we create an open environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences so that we can all gain as much as possible from this conference,” says Cadet Maj. Mark Horst of Narvon, Pa., a senior majoring in mining engineering in the College of Engineering and pursuing a minor in leadership studies. Horst is the recipient of the Jimmie W. Monteith ’41 Medal of Honor Emerging Leader Scholarship and is serving as the Cadet in Charge of the conference. He also serves as the Honor Court Chief Justice for the corps, responsible for all corps honor education as well as any honor court cases. Upon graduation this spring, he will receive a commission in the U.S. Navy.

This article was written by Cadet Brady Rollins of Elkton, Md., a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies at Virginia Tech with minors in social studies, English, and leadership studies. Rollins is a member of Army ROTC, serves as a cadet chaplain in 3rd Battalion, and is serving as the Public Affairs Officer for the Leadership Conference.
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