Head on the Horizon: Performance Under Pressure | 2026 U-LEAD CONFERENCE

Jared Melendez, Mental Performance Coach Background for awareness:
- Former U.S. Army Combat-Arms Veteran (x3 deployments) & Instructor at
West Point-Current mental performance coach - Current graduate student
(Sport Psychology and Mental Health Counseling)


In high-pressure moments—exams, interviews, leadership roles, competition
—Most people don’t rise to the occasion… They fall back on their habits. The
problem? Most of us have never trained our minds for those moments.
Drawing from experience as a U.S. Army officer and mental performance
coach, this session challenges students to reimagine pressure—not as
something to avoid, but as something they can prepare for and perform
within. Through practical tools and interactive exercises, participants will learn
how to control their focus, reset after mistakes, and execute when it matters
most. Students will leave with a simple, repeatable mental performance
system they can apply immediately in academics, leadership, and life.

Build a simple, repeatable mental performance plan they can use in
academics, leadership, or extracurriculars
 

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Co-hosted with: CSU & Student Activities, Student Events Team, Maverick Involvement Team, Delta Sigma Pi, Honors Student Body, Interfraternity Council (IFC), International Student Association, Panhellenic Council, Residence Hall Association (RHA), Student Government, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Residential Life