During our September session, we went over the basics of servant leadership and received all of the necessary materials. While some of the information at the beginning felt a little slow, things quickly became more engaging when we played a game called extreme rock-paper-scissors. We walked around challenging different people, which made it a fun way to interact with a wide range of individuals in the group and start building connections. We also talked about our regional project in April, Hearts and Hands for Hunger, and how we would be working to raise money for it. Another key concept we discussed was autonomy, which means being able to take action on your own. That idea really stood out to me because it connects directly to what servant leadership is all about; having the courage to step up and do what’s right, even if you’re not sure anyone else will follow.

October’s meeting was led by Mike Hoffman, and it really challenged the way I think about servant leadership. One of the biggest things he emphasized was that servant leadership isn’t just about serving people who have nothing, it’s also about stepping out of your comfort zone and being willing to feel a little silly sometimes. That idea actually made a lot of sense to me, because those uncomfortable or awkward moments are what help you grow. It takes courage to put yourself out there like that, and that’s a big part of becoming a stronger leader. We also talked about the ABCs of leadership and what truly defines a real leader. But the biggest takeaway for me from this meeting was the idea that kindness costs nothing. Simple things like smiling at someone, holding the door, or giving a compliment might not seem like a big deal, but they can genuinely make someone else’s day better. I kept thinking about a quote I’ve heard before: “If you can be anything, be kind”, which really stuck with me throughout the entire meeting.

November’s meeting focused on leading with hope, and it was presented by Sanna Marin’s quote as well as Tia Heimerdinger’s message. Throughout the session, I learned that hope can be viewed in different ways, either as cherishing a desire with anticipation or believing in something greater than yourself. Both perspectives really made me think about how hope plays a role in my own life. The quote that stood out to me the most was, “There’s always hope, if there’s action.” That really stuck with me because it made me realize that hope alone isn’t enough, you have to act on it. When you take action, hope turns into something more real, like excitement and belief. Even trying something new or a little intimidating can create hope and build confidence in yourself. We also did a relay activity using paper plates, which was actually a really fun way to understand the concept better. It showed me how important it is to have hope not only in myself, but also in others and even in the small moments. Overall, this meeting helped me realize just how valuable hope is and how much it can impact the way I lead and live my life.

December’s meeting was led by Preston Marquis and Dwayne Fontenette, and it focused on giving us practical tools we can actually use in everyday situations. One of the main things I took away was learning more about negotiation. I realized how important communication is, especially when it comes to understanding different perspectives. When you’re negotiating with someone or a group, it’s not just about getting your point across, it’s about really listening so you can understand where everyone else is coming from too. We spent a lot of time focusing on the importance of listening, which honestly changed the way I think about negotiation. You have to see the full picture and understand everyone’s motives before you can come to a solution that works for everyone. I also really enjoyed how the activities were set up. I worked closely with two other students I had never met before, and by the end of it, it didn’t even feel like we were strangers anymore. It made the experience a lot more meaningful because I was able to build new connections while learning. Overall, this meeting taught me a lot of new skills and gave me a better understanding of how much actually goes into effective negotiation and how to approach it in a more thoughtful way.

In our February meeting, the guest speakers, Tammy and Sarah Abell, talked to us about how the art of communication is the language of leadership. To be a great leader, you must be able to communicate a clear message that is received and secure the intended actions or result. This lesson was super interesting to me because I feel like I don't always communicate my ideas fully, so when they don't end up how I envisioned them, I get a bit upset. This month also taught me the 4 key components when communicating that I will remember forever: know why you are communicating, know whom you are communicating with, know when to communicate, and know how to communicate! These steps are to help the person on the receiving end to fully understand the point you are trying to get across. Lastly, a mentor said something that really stuck with me at the end. They said when you are communicating with someone, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. They said you should be listening twice as much as you should be talking! This whole lesson, especially what the mentor said, really changed the way I view communication, and I'm super excited to use the tools I have learned this month! 

In March, we started with senior masking and then learned about teamwork from a guest speaker, Andrew Jenson. We learned about optimizing variables, which is making decisions based on weighing multiple answers and assigning resources, which is where certain situations require different attributes. We practiced what we learned by doing this exercise with price and channel simulation. It was used to help with teamwork and communication. The exercise was really fun, and I believe we came in 4th! Working with my group was super fun, and it was fun adapting different strategies on the fly! Overall, this meeting taught me how important teamwork is when trying to reach a goal or get something done! 

Our April meeting looked a bit different than the others! Instead of our normal meeting with a specific presenter, we went to Freeport High School and packed meals for Hearts and Hands for Hunger! This month's meeting was still very beneficial for me because it taught me that taking just two hours of my day to pack meals for kids who need it most will help them in more ways than I could ever imagine. The amount of teamwork that went into meal packing was a lot! I am very grateful that the March Meeting was all about teamwork and using different attitudes of people because it really helped us when meal packing! Once my group had our jobs and understood our roles, the number of meals we packed sped up substantially. After meal packing was over, we headed back to Highland for our End of Year Ceremony! We finished off the 25-26 year with every school sharing a bit of what they had done over the year to help raise money for Hearts and Hands!