Colorado State University-Pueblo senior Michael Weiner had the opportunity to fly in luxury with Colorado leaders as part of an exchange for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.
Weiner, who is working on his MBA through the three-plus-two program, flew on a private jet Oct. 16 to Nashville. He attended the conference with leaders throughout Colorado, including Gov. John Hickenlooper.
“Every year the governor puts together a delegation of leaders from across the state and they select one student to go on the trip with business leaders in Denver,” Weiner said.
Every leadership program throughout the state nominates one student to interview for the trip. Shelly Moreschini, director of the President’s Leadership Program at CSU-Pueblo, nominated Weiner this year.
Weiner said CSU-Pueblo’s diversity and small size were factors in the foundation’s decision to choose him for the trip.
During the exchange, attendees were able to hear Hickenlooper and Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee speak about leadership initiatives. Weiner also had the opportunity to network with business leaders.
“It was basically a lot of CEOs and vice presidents from Denver companies that are doing big things,” Weiner said.
He said that the 160 people on his flight to the conference knew each other and had the opportunity to move around and talk to one another.
“It was an interesting plane ride.”
Weiner is involved in an array of activities on campus, including the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, where he is president.
For years, he was involved with the Associated Students’ Government on campus and has been a student ambassador since he was a freshman.
As an ambassador, he gives campus tours to prospective students.
“My favorite part is seeing students who weren’t too sure they wanted to go to CSU-Pueblo and then seeing them on campus,” he said.
Weiner’s leadership roles on campus have given him a platform to influence younger students. As president of Lambda Chi Alpha, he has been able to act as a role model for freshmen recruits.
“They’re getting excited to be more involved and make a change on campus, which is what we need around here,” he said.
Lambda Chi Alpha is currently working on a food drive, which will benefit CSU-Pueblo’s new food bank.
“CSU-Pueblo in general has been a really great experience for me,” he said.
“I know that if I had gone to any other university in the state, I wouldn’t have all of the opportunities that have been presented to me here.”
