Leadership Conference Gives Students a Leg Up on Future : Ventura: The 500 regional youths are encouraged to get more involved in school and to become role models for others.

By CARLOS V. LOZANO

Oct. 17, 1992 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

They talked about fund raising, goal-setting, character and, most of all, leadership.

No, this was not another presidential debate.

This was the second annual Middle School Leadership Conference at De Anza Middle School in Ventura. Nearly 500 students from 21 schools, stretching from the San Fernando Valley to San Luis Obispo, participated in the conference Friday.

The event was designed to motivate and guide students into becoming more involved in school activities such as student government, and to learn more about self-discipline, planning and organizing, to better prepare them for the future both in and out of school.

“We’re looking to give kids the tools to go back to their schools and become active role models for the rest of the student population,” said Vincent Cavaliere, assistant principal at De Anza and an organizer of the conference.

Kicking things off was Gary Zelesky, a professional motivational speaker and comedian, who talked to the students about overcoming adversity in order to reach their goals. Zelesky shared a story about how a troubled family life nearly prevented him from finishing school, but that with the help of a high school English teacher, he was able to graduate.

“Don’t give up!” Zelesky screamed at the students. “When somebody says to you, ‘I’m dropping out of school,’ you say, ‘No way, Jose, I’m sticking with it. I am the future. I want an education.’ ”

Zelesky’s rousing speech, which he animated with jokes and slapstick routines, drew thunderous applause from the audience. Nicola Endeman, an eighth-grader from Vandenburg Middle School in San Luis Obispo, was one of those who was moved.

“He did a really good job,” Nicola said. “I learned to never give up, try your best and know that you can do something if you put your mind to it. I think it’s very important because kids our age too often listen to others who say, ‘You can’t do it.’ ”

After Zelesky’s speech, the students broke up into small groups and attended workshops on setting goals, boosting school spirit and raising funds for school improvements or special projects.

In the goal-setting session, several students said they learned that they have to work harder on improving their attitudes about themselves and others if they want to achieve their goals.

“I’m sort of a negative person,” said Dawn Mohammdian, an eighth-grader at Las Colinas Elementary School in Camarillo. “I need to be more positive if I want to be a leader.”

Jeff Miyasaki, a 13-year-old student at Sequoia Junior High School in Simi Valley, said he was motivated to more effectively use his position as a student government representative to inspire others.

“I learned how to help other kids and to keep our school looking good and to keep up school spirit,” he said.

Students said they also felt that society needs to put more emphasis on education if it wants to produce strong leaders for the future.

“I think that teachers should be paid more than the President, or like a professional football player or something, because they’re teaching us about the future,” said La Toya Anderson, an eighth-grader from Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo. “They’re teaching us things that are more important than what a baseball player is doing.”