Keasha Maile, FEO, March 6, 2025, VOL. 6 ISSUE 13

On February 19th, students gathered at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS) for the Everyday Influencer Conference, a student-led initiative to inspire young leaders to recognize and embrace their ability to make a difference in their schools and communities.

The event, organized entirely by students, focused on redefining what it means to be an influencer in today’s world. Rather than emphasizing social media fame, the conference encouraged attendees to see the value in everyday acts of leadership and kindness.

“You don’t have to be like that social media influencer. You don’t have to be perfect; you don’t have to have it all together, but you can influence students in your school, and in your community, in your peer groups, and your workplaces,” said Mackenzie Arts, grade 12 student and lead organizer of the event.

The conference welcomed student leaders from six local high schools. The event attracted students involved in student councils, equity alliance groups, and athletic councils, as well as those with a general interest in leadership.

“We were only able to invite close schools, so we invited eight close schools, but then two couldn’t attend just because of their busing, and everything didn’t work out. So then, through word of mouth, some of the other schools heard about it.” Mackenzie explained.

One key feature that set the conference apart was its peer-led approach. Instead of learning from professional speakers or adult mentors, students had the opportunity to hear from and connect with fellow students, making leadership more accessible and relatable.

“A lot of people just thought that was the cool aspect of it, like learning from each other and building those connections,” Mackenzie noted.

Workshops and discussions throughout the day highlighted that leadership comes in many forms—from small gestures, like offering kindness to a peer, to large-scale efforts, such as organizing school-wide initiatives.

“You are an everyday influencer, and you can make a difference, whether you’re making a small difference by just smiling at someone in the hallway or a big difference, like raising huge amounts of money for food programs at your school,” said Mackenzie, reinforcing the idea that students have more influence than they often realize.

Thanks to a fundraising effort led by organizers, the conference was made accessible to all students and attendance was completely free.

“We wanted to make it free. We wanted to reduce all the financial barriers,” Mackenzie said. A trivia night fundraiser played a key role in making this possible, with strong support from local businesses and the community.

As for the future of the Everyday Influencer Conference, Mackenzie, a graduating student, hopes another school will take on the event next year, continuing the connections and leadership development that began this year.

“If a student is willing to take it on, that’s great. We are hoping to pass it to another school, maybe, and then they can take it on for the next year,” she shared.

With its focus on student empowerment, collaboration, and real-world leadership, the Everyday Influencer Conference proved to be a meaningful and impactful event, leaving attendees with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence in their ability to create change, one small act at a time.