Steven Niepa, a senior Business and Enterprise Management major at Wake Forest University, attended the 2023 US Air Force Academy National Character and Leadership Symposium. Learning how business and military leadership are closely entwined was an important takeaway for Steven. One highlight was the message from a keynote speaker, ‘Adopt a habit of keeping a notebook with key things that make each day meaningful. Know Your Why and Be Humble – following these principles will guide me to become a better leader, disciple, and student and will, in turn, make sure I am giving my all to my peers, followers, and leaders.’
Another memorable message that resonated with Steven was Dr. Small’s speech on Durable Mindsets. ‘People want to get around stress, but it helps forge better people, better experiences, and better times.’ Dr. Small emphasized balancing times of stress with times of reflection.
The US Air Force Academy National Character and Leadership Symposium was a tremendously impactful experience for Steven.
Steven was nominated by his professor, Dr. Matthew Phillips.