OLIVIA TERRELL (C/O 27)- ORGANIZING A CONFERENCE OR WORKSHOP (9 POINTS)

During this time, I took the lead in planning, organizing, and facilitating our September Bonner Summit, “Inside Out,” which focused on mindfulness, emotional awareness, and self-reflection. My responsibilities included developing the summit agenda, creating an engaging presentation, preparing and organizing materials for each activity, coordinating speakers, and ensuring that all activities aligned with the summit’s overall theme and objectives.

To begin the summit, I incorporated a creative activity inspired by the Inside Out movie, encouraging Bonner Scholars to wear colors representing their current emotions. I then led a guided meditation to help scholars become more present and aware of their emotional well-being.

Following the meditation, I facilitated an interactive “Filling Your Cup” activity, which I organized to encourage scholars to evaluate how they distribute their time, energy, and attention across different responsibilities. Scholars identified the commitments, relationships, and activities currently filling their cups and reflected on questions such as, “What is taking up the most space in your life right now?” and “Where did you place yourself in your cup, and how much space are you intentionally giving to your own well-being?” This activity encouraged meaningful conversations about personal priorities, balance, and the importance of self-care.

To conclude the summit, I coordinated an additional mindfulness exercise facilitated by Ms. Cherita from the Bonner Office, allowing scholars to further explore strategies for managing stress and practicing mindfulness.

Throughout the planning and execution of the summit, I demonstrated leadership, organization, communication, and event coordination skills. From developing the presentation and preparing activity materials to coordinating facilitators and leading discussions, I played an active role in ensuring the summit was engaging, purposeful, and meaningful for participating Bonner Scholars.

The attached photograph was taken during a planning meeting with the Bonner Office staff in preparation for the September Bonner Summit. During this meeting, we finalized key logistical details, including the summit agenda, activity materials, speaker coordination, and overall event execution. This meeting was an important part of ensuring that the summit was well-organized and that all necessary preparations were completed before the event.

Olivia Terrell