A delegation of Texas State students attended the 67th annual MSC Student Conference on National Affairs (MSC-SCONA) conference in February. The conference focused on prominent issues concerning U.S. security, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, the Southern border, and future energy sources. Throughout the conference, students had the chance to connect with leaders and peers from diverse backgrounds in military and technology. Furthermore, students listened to keynote speeches from speakers including Admiral William R. McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy Four-Star admiral and former Chancellor of the University of Texas System, and General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Four Texas State students attended the conference: Chizobam Iheme, Jordyne McClinton, Benjamin Salazar, and RJ Gonzalez. Iheme said the event “opened [their] eyes to the complexity of real-world issues” and “enabled” them to “develop” for “future leadership.” Likewise, Salazar said the conference “was filled with enlightening experiences” and “valuable lessons in teamwork.”
MSC-SCONA is an annual collegiate conference that brings together delegates from across the nation and the world. Each year, MSC SCONA discusses a topic of national and global importance, giving delegates the chance to interact with the nation’s premier academic scholars, industry professionals, and well-known public figures. Delegates participate in small group “roundtables” led by a subject matter expert “facilitator,” and work together to create a policy paper. Founded in 1955, the conference has hosted many prestigious speakers, including Texas State’s most famous alumnus, President Lyndon B. Johnson. If you’d like to learn more about MSC-SCONA, you can visit their website here.
