Madison Mosley, a 21-year-old senior majoring in professional communication, and Qiana Ruth, a 20-year-old majoring in nursing, are both dedicated student leaders making a significant impact on campus.
Mosley, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, serves as Vice President of the Student Government Association and holds leadership roles as secretary for both the Nation Panhellenic Council (NPHC) and the Kappa Pho chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Ruth, a Nashville, Tennessee native has been committed to excellence in nursing while actively engaging in student involvement.
For Mosley, events like these play a significant role in her academic journey.
“Knowing that you have a place where you belong guarantees success and student involvement guarantees it. You’re more likely to be successful if you feel like you belong somewhere,” said Mosley.
She expressed her hope to gain a sense of understanding, sharing that the “Walking Shoes” activity was extremely helpful in making her feel seen and supported. Reflecting on her experience, she noted that she had never attended a conference like this before.
“This one is definitely at the top of my list for conferences because it was very engaging and interactive,” said Mosley. She also mentioned that while the FLEX Conference was somewhat similar, it focused more on leadership skills and fostering a sense of community belonging.
Mosley was particularly excited to hear from Tiff Perkins, who led the business branding segment and runs Black Clarksville. She highly recommended the RISE Conference, emphasizing its importance for student development.
“Students need to learn to be involved and develop awareness skills. Right now, there are efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives, but ignoring race, difference and cultures won’t help. Color blindness is not the solution,” said Perkins.
Similar to Mosley, Ruth attended the Rise Conference to advance her career and gain advice that would affect her student life positively. She was eager to attend the session on personal marketing and presenting oneself in various situations. She also appreciated the discussion on the contrast between childhood and adulthood— particularly how culture shapes personal identity over time.
Ruth highly recommended the RISE Conference to other students, emphasizing its value in professional and personal development.
“I think students will gain more knowledge because the conference focuses on building resumes, forming relationships and most importantly, understanding their major and future career goals,” said Ruth.
The RISE Conference, which significantly impacted senior students, was led by Jackie Velasquez, the Latino-American Community Resource Coordinator, and Rashad Cockrell, the Director of Community Belonging at Austin Peay State University.
Velasquez and Cockrell were inspired to create the RISE Conference after noticing a lack of professional development support for students at Austin Peay. While academic growth was encouraged, many juniors and seniors felt unprepared for their careers. She aimed to bridge this gap by helping students build resumes, improve LinkedIn profiles and get headshots—all while fostering a sense of community and connection among diverse student groups.
“The aim was to create an environment where students can unify while learning and growing with one another,” said Cockrell.
They suggested that students attend the conference with an open mind and curiosity because pushing oneself out of one’s comfort zone can open up many opportunities moving forward. As for the evolution of the RISE conference for the upcoming years, Cockrell hopes to make it an event for Austin Peay, the Clarksville community and other universities, establishing a community full of networking and job opportunities.
