Rooted in Purpose: A First-Generation Student's Path to Leadership Through Community Research and Equity Work
Location
Hemmingson 220
Start Date
28-3-2026 11:10 AM
End Date
28-3-2026 12:00 AM
Description
Description: This session shares my journey as a first-generation student navigating graduate education, community research, and leadership development. Drawing from my work as a research assistant on refugee and immigrant studies, my graduate research assistantship supporting housing research, and participation in the Point-in-Time Count, I explore how lived experience, cultural identity, and resilience shape purpose-driven leadership. Through personal storytelling and reflection, attendees will learn how empathy, service, and community engagement can guide meaningful leadership and inspire positive social change. Speaker Bio: Florence Osei is a first-generation graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at Eastern Washington University. She previously worked as a research assistant on refugee and immigrant studies and currently serves as a graduate research assistant supporting housing research. Her work centers on equity, community engagement, and purpose-driven leadership.
Recommended Citation
Osei, Florence, "Rooted in Purpose: A First-Generation Student's Path to Leadership Through Community Research and Equity Work" (2026). Payne Center for Leadership Development Student Leadership Conference. 8.
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/payne_slc/2026/general/8
Rooted in Purpose: A First-Generation Student's Path to Leadership Through Community Research and Equity Work
Hemmingson 220
Description: This session shares my journey as a first-generation student navigating graduate education, community research, and leadership development. Drawing from my work as a research assistant on refugee and immigrant studies, my graduate research assistantship supporting housing research, and participation in the Point-in-Time Count, I explore how lived experience, cultural identity, and resilience shape purpose-driven leadership. Through personal storytelling and reflection, attendees will learn how empathy, service, and community engagement can guide meaningful leadership and inspire positive social change. Speaker Bio: Florence Osei is a first-generation graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at Eastern Washington University. She previously worked as a research assistant on refugee and immigrant studies and currently serves as a graduate research assistant supporting housing research. Her work centers on equity, community engagement, and purpose-driven leadership.