As the sun rose over Salyer Lake, the air buzzed with anticipation. For three days, student leaders from SNU gathered for Lead Retreat 2025, a weekend designed not only to prepare students for leadership roles on campus but to cultivate a spirit of service, intentionality, and community. This year’s retreat marked another return to Salyer Lake, where traditions, games, worship, and laughter intertwined, creating an environment for growth both spiritually and relationally.
Lead Retreat is more than just a kickoff event–it is a transformative experience. Students step away from phones, schedules, and distractions to engage fully with one another, their peers, and their faith. Mya Uribe, a sophomore pursuing a multidisciplinary degree in graphic design and business, reflected, “Lead Retreat gave me the opportunity to step away from distractions and lean into being intentional and present with my community. It became a question of how intentional we decided to be with the person sitting next to us.”
Connection was evident in every activity–from team competitions to worship sessions, leaders forged bonds quickly and meaningfully. Julia Lopez, a junior in pastoral ministry, shared, “Even in the midst of the chaos in my life, the world felt a little calmer knowing there was a community out there for me.” Similarly, junior psychology major Amira Cooper-Stennis emphasized how retreat fostered lasting relationships: “If it wasn’t for Lead, I wouldn’t have connected with the people I did, so I walked out with new and stronger relationships.”
Lead Retreat also challenges students to step out of their comfort zones and embrace their roles as leaders. Whether encouraging peers through team challenges or reflecting on their responsibilities, participants gained confidence in their ability to serve others. Lopez described this growth vividly: “Lead Retreat encouraged me to get out of the boat–get out of my comfort zone and help even though it’s not comfortable.”
For sophomore youth ministry major Angelina Gunn, Lead was a reminder of the diversity in leadership and the power of perseverance: “It really showed me that I have the ability to work harder and have a group of people surrounding me who want me to succeed. Leaders do not come in a certain mold… Lead revived my passion for leadership.”
At its core, Lead Retreat’s purpose is to align leadership with SNU’s mission of forming Christlike disciples. Through intentional service, reflection, and collaboration, student leaders are equipped to influence campus life positively. Uribe summarized it best: “Leadership involves participation and making yourself available. This can be as simple as serving through the skills, talents, or abilities that we have; nothing is vain.”
As students returned from Salyer Lake, they carried with them not just memories of games and campfires, but a renewed sense of purpose. Lead Retreat 2025 proved that leadership is not defined by titles or positions–it is defined by service, intentionality, and the willingness to follow God’s calling. These student leaders walked away, reminded that God equips the called, giving them wisdom, courage, and heart to lead their peers in faith, love, and community. As the year unfolds, they are not just leaders–they are vessels of Christ’s light on campus, ready to inspire, serve, and transform the SNU community.
Photos by: SNU Creative