It's not always easy being a leader.

Leadership often takes the willingness to go against peer pressure, making tough decisions and sacrificing immediate desires to succeed in the future.

That's what saved Victor Rios from gang "banging" in the streets of Oakland and eventually moved him to the front of the class as a professor at UC Santa Barbara.

Rios spoke about overcoming struggles and the importance of leadership to about 70 students at the Teen Voice School Leadership Summit at Ventura City Hall on Friday.

"Nobody taught me that college was common sense," said Rios, who teaches criminology, juvenile justice and youth studies at UC Santa Barbara. "Some of you here might not have had those role models, and some of you might have parents who are doctors. You have to empower yourself, then you can empower the community."

Friday's leadership summit was the first organized by the city of Ventura and members of Teen Voice, a group dedicated to building positive relationships among teens and their community. In March, 25 students from high schools throughout Ventura came together and formed Teen Voice, said city Youth Programs Supervisor Mario Robinson.

The group's goal is to help students develop leadership skills, build self-esteem and make connections with professionals in the community, Robinson said.

Although the group originally started with 25 high-schoolers, Friday's summit included other students identified by campus administrators for their leadership potential and abilities, Robinson said.

"One of the things we really want to make sure was for kids to develop leadership skills and to have a voice in the community," he said. "We also wanted to ask them, What things do you want in your community ... your campus?'"

Rios, the keynote speaker at the all-day event, talked about dropping out of school and making the decision to leave the gang life after he watched his best friend die on the street from bullet wounds. Rios, then 15, said his friend's death was the wake-up call that changed his life.

"I went back to school, and with the help of a teacher and the power within me I graduated from high school on time," said Rios, 30.

"I got my bachelor's of science and went on to get my Ph.D. It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you don't stop."

At the summit, students also worked in groups and discussed problems they see at their campuses and communities, including overcrowded buses, homelessness and alienation from the decision-making process.

They presented their concerns to Ventura Mayor Christy Weir and also spoke to other city and law enforcement officials.

"This is the first step in making a real difference," said Teen Voice member Jessica Trainor, 16, a junior at Foothill Technology High School. "I think we have rivalries between schools, and we are trying to eliminate that climate and brainstorm what we can do in and out of our schools."

Rios challenged students to work together and find inner strength to guide others.

"I expect you to deal with these problems as 21st century leaders," Rios said. "Leadership starts here."