Local student attends conference

Sam Kligman of Thousand Oaks, a soon-to-be senior at Westlake High School, recently completed participation in the National Student Leadership Conference in Medicine and Health at UC Berkeley, a leadership development program for outstanding high school students.

While attending the conference, Kligman had the opportunity to study, experience, and develop the skills and traits that define and identify a leader.

Through participation in this program, students develop their abilities to think on their feet, to engage in critical analysis, and to communicate effectively, skills that will serve them well as leaders in high school, college, and throughout their lives.

The mission of the conference organizers is to identify and recognize outstanding young leaders from around the world, and to provide them with a unique learning environment that encourages

not only academic achievement, but also diversity, cooperation, and social responsibility.

"Students develop a sense of independence and responsibility," said Paul Lisnek, PhD, the program's director of academics and former assistant dean of Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

"They leave with a true feeling of accomplishment and confidence in their ability to handle the challenges that lie ahead."