The second annual Women’s Leadership Retreat application deadline is Monday, Nov. 7, at 5:00 p.m.

The retreat, held Jan. 6 to Jan. 7, 2012, is free to registered participants with a $20 deposit, which will be returned after the retreat is completed on Saturday.

“Everyone can be a leader. You just need to have the right attitude,” said Katelynn Davis, senior in pre-medicine and member of the planning committee and attendee of last year’s retreat. “It doesn’t matter whether you are already a leader or whether you are finding your place at Iowa State.”

Davis, who will also be a retreat leader at this year’s event, is most excited about the session on creating effective elevator speeches. Women will be given the chance to prepare their own short self-introduction, present it to a leader and then receive constructive criticism.

“Being able to talk to someone in a business fashion is always really useful, no matter what you are doing,” Davis said.

While the two-day retreat is still in the planning stages, the basic format has been established. Presenters from the Ames, Des Moines and the central Iowa area will focus on empowering women to take on leadership roles, finding a voice and passion, managing difficult dialogues and developing leadership skills such as managing stress, setting goals and becoming team-builders.

“We are also really excited about our empowerment [and] uplifting journey to leadership presentation, about how one woman found her way, [and] a presentation on difficult dialogues … how to deal with difficult people, how to handle difficult situations and just to handle conflict,” Davis said.

The first confirmed speaker is Mary Jo Gonzalez from the Dean of Students Office. She will be giving a presentation on mentoring. Committee members are also hoping to get some elected officials and female student leaders to speak at the retreat.

Presenters at the 2011 Women’s Leadership Retreat helped Amanda Martin, educational leadership and policy studies graduate assistant for the Student Activities Center, realize how important it is for women to involve themselves in leadership positions.

“This retreat brought to light some of the challenges women face and what we can do about it,” Martin said. “The presenters that were there talked about difficult dialogues and feminism. We had the opportunity to hear from women in the community who are leaders, like the mayor and women and student leaders at Iowa State. They were really inspirational and motivating.”

Different from last year, this year’s event will be held at Knapp-Storms Dining Complex. Registered individuals will be provided with three meals, Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast and lunch. Participants will be able to leave at the end of the first day and return for activities the following morning. Both Davis and Martin encourage people who attended last year to participate again.

A collaborative event sponsored by Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women & Politics, Government of the Student Body, ISU Department of Residence, Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, Office of Greek Affairs, Student Activities Center and YWCA-Ames, the retreat has been funded by the Women’s Enrichment Grant the last two years and will continue as long as funds are available, Martin said.

“It will be a totally different experience this year — different presenters, different topics, so people who attended last year are more than welcome to apply again,” Martin said.

Martin made clear the retreat is open to any female wanting to attend, but this year’s programs are specifically geared toward undergraduate students.

Individuals involved with planning the retreat are asking interested participants to register as soon as possible in order to reserve their place. Currently, there are about 30 individuals registered for the leadership retreat, and there will only be room for around 50 participants.

Martin also said one of the best opportunities women got out of last year’s retreat was the ability to network and socialize with other female students, professionals and mentors.

“[Last year], there were women from all different backgrounds, all different fields of study, freshman through Ph.D. students, so to have that mix of women in the same room was really empowering,” Martin said.

Register today for the 2012 Women’s Leadership Retreat at www.sac.iastate.edu/wlr.