Third year Education student and campus leader, Ivanca Noble (23), was recently selected as one of twenty international leaders to attend the Student Leader Global Summit (SLGS) in Houston, Texas, from 9 to 11 March. Travelling almost fourteen thousand kilometres to represent South Africa at the summit, she flew the Matie flag high with great gusto.
The SLGS focused on defining and unpacking global perspectives of leadership. The summit also brought campus leaders from around the world together to share global challenges faced on campuses worldwide. They collaborated with one another to share the best possible practices with regards to formulating solutions to those problems.
Ivanca Noble featured with her fellow leaders at the Student Leader Global Summit in Houston, Texas. PHOTO: Ivanca Noble
Noble explained that one of the most prominent challenges on university campuses discussed at the summit was the failure to practise functional inclusivity. She explained that in the South African context, a history of racial segregation has prohibited effective inclusivity, as well as the ongoing struggle of access to education.
One of the international challenges that sets the narrative on American campuses, which Noble stated that the conference addressed, is racial exclusion in campus communities. She further explained that the exclusion of certain ethnicities and immigrants is a dominant issue on campuses due to the political climate of the USA leading to fear of deportation.
“The lack of inclusivity on campuses across the world is something that all the leaders were able to resonate with. It is an issue which transcends race, access, ethnicity and geographical location,” explained Noble.
The failure to eradicate stigmas surrounding mental illness was another campus issue identified by Noble and her fellow conference attendees. She explained that the leaders at the conference unpacked the importance of converting stereotypes into empathy and understanding.
Ivanca Noble receiving recognition for her contribution to the global leadership community. PHOTO: Hunter Zhao
“It was a really defining experience for me in terms of finding my voice as a leader, and realizing that being among a group of highly influential people one should never undermine the influence that you can have,” she said.
“In being chosen for the summit, it enabled me to remember to always choose myself and that my story is as significant as that of others, irrespective of my background,” said Noble about her experience of SLGS.
Noble explained that she has always been passionate about leadership, while stating that “leadership is influence, and with influence comes serving. And that is something I plan to live out in my everyday life.”