PLC Student Reflects on NCLS

March 20, 2012

The 2012 National Character and Leadership Symposium at the United States Air Force Academy was an amazing experience. I was surrounded by dynamic and
engaged leaders, and incredible speakers from a variety of backgrounds. I was fortunate to have dinner with Willie Driscoll, one of the most merited and honored Aces out of the TOPGUN academy during the Vietnam War. I participated in a post lecture conversation on the future of global health care and the potential of preventative healthcare in 3rd world countries with Dr. Matthew Spitzer, the president of Doctors Without Borders; and over lunch I got to discuss the biomechanical engineering of prosthesis with two amputees: Aron Ralston, the famed adventurer who sacrificed his arm for his life, inspired the movie 127 Hours and helped engineer and design his own prosthetics, and also the honorable Sergeant Petry, who earned the medal of honor for sacrificing his hand for his fellow soldiers when he threw a grenade away to protect them.

Meeting these speakers was an incredible experience for me as I was able to speak to those that had experience in fields that I want to pursue. Additionally, I was able
to meet many other people that were equally accomplished and had inspirational stories within other fields that gave me insight into other topics and scenarios where leadership takes place in the world. As a student pursuing a major in Physics and a minor in Biochemistry, with aspirations of a career in healthcare, being able to not only hear the lectures from Dr. Matthew Spitzer and Aron Ralston, but to meet and speak with them after their lectures as well, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was able to gain insight on the details of a career in healthcare, as well as an understanding of the complexities of designing prosthetics. Both of these happen to be topics I am very interested in pursuing and intertwining in my potential future profession. It was also great to hear from speakers like Willie Driscoll, who diagnosed his leadership roles and experiences as a fighter pilot, and also made those same qualities applicable across different leadership roles for all backgrounds.

The NCLS experience presented me with amazing opportunities and insights. I highly recommend the symposium to others, and I hope to attend the symposium
next year.

-Peter Lawson
PLC 2011