The Golden Grizzlies Lead “I Heart Values” event was hosted virtually via Zoom on Oct. 19. The leadership workshop helped students to identify their personal values and understand how those values could align with potential career paths. 

The workshop was a slideshow presentation by ECLIPSE Program Coordinator and Program Coordinator for Student Services, Leadership and Engagement Kelli Dowd. The presentation featured slides discussing values, what they are and how they influence people. Students were then placed into breakout rooms in Zoom for an opportunity to discuss focus topics with their peers. 

The first topic question asked was what values are and how they are defined. Students defined values as “abstract or concrete ideas that define your life” and “a set of principles that you believe in that influence your beliefs and actions.” 

Values, as explained by the presentation, are those inner standards from which one receives motivation to act as they do and by which they judge behavior — both their own and others’. Values signify what is important and worthwhile, and they also serve as the basis for moral codes and ethical reflection. Values show up in every aspect of life, again and again through one’s actions. 

Students were then given a “Dare to Lead” worksheet with a list of values based off of the book “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. Then, they were instructed to choose 20-30 values that stuck out to them, then group them into three to five categories. Here, students expressed their struggles with categorizing their values, saying that it was easier to select values than group them. 

Students were put into breakout groups to answer the following questions: “Who is a person in your life that embodies one or more of your values?” “How did they live this value?” and “What impact did this person have on you?” There were varying answers, such as bosses and coaches, but the most common answer was professors. Students took these values they listed and put them into a collaborative jam board.  

Defining personal core values was an important part of the presentation. Students were asked how their values might have changed from childhood or since coming to college. The presentation asked students to consider who has influenced their values, how do their values align with their future careers and are their current actions aligning with their values. 

Students gave many responses, with some discussing how their thoughts of financial stability have changed since being a child, others talking about how they feel about being told what they’re supposed to do in life. 

One student shared that their values of social justice collide with their hopes for a career using their political science degree. A student said: “Taking time to reflect on your values when making a decision that you’re not 100% sure about can be helpful,” referring to how their actions are influenced by their values. 

The presentation concluded and explained that values matter because they help with making decisions, communicating with others, defining relationships and showing integrity. They are a good motivator, and people can experience more contentment in their lives when their values and actions align. 

“Maybe people around you don’t value the same things that you do anymore, and it’s okay to step back from things that don’t align with what you want to do,” Dowd said at the conclusion of the presentation.