I had the honor of participating in the NCAA Leadership Conference at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex last month. The conference is intended to enhance the leadership and communication skills of 308 student-athletes from Divisions I, II and II universities across the nation.

Over the five days, I learned more about my peers and myself than I ever thought possible in such a limited time span. As unbelievable as it may sound, the conference was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and has given me a new outlook on my capacity as an individual and my role as a student-athlete at Yale. I arrived in Florida thinking that the conference would be a good time and I would hopefully improve my leadership skills. However, at the end of the week, I was shocked with the extent to which I had learned about myself as a leader, student-athlete and person.

Through the dialogue and interaction with fellow conference participants and facilitators, we explored the characteristics of effective leaders and our personal leadership styles. Surrounded by and working with strong individuals, I was able to better perceive and understand my strengths and weaknesses. I entered the conference hoping that I would learn a new concept or two about leadership, but I assumed that most of the program would be trite and boring. I knew that we would discuss characteristics such as persistence, positive attitude, listening and confidence. We did address those qualities; however, our unique approach to examining them has allowed me to truly understand how to implement these attributes to improve my leadership skills.

We also discussed trouble areas and student-athlete issues, which included time demands, inclusion, party behaviors and trust gaps within intercollegiate athletics. One of the main lessons of the conference was that on the surface we seem different, but by working together, we learn that we are actually quite similar and that collectively we can achieve greatness.

During the closing ceremonies, I was faced with some very difficult goodbyes. I was surrounded with hugs, tears, promises of keeping in touch and future reunions. I walked away with an inspired vision for future changes for the better and the confidence in my ability to realize my goals. I am honored to say that I had the privilege of being a participant in a group of 308 of the most incredible leaders that I have ever encountered. Although the bonds were molded in merely five days, the friendships, networks and impressions will be long lasting.

Stephanie Wei is a golf student-athlete at Yale University.