On May 2, dozens of student leaders from various clubs and organizations around the school convened at the FCPS Staff Development Center in Walkersville for a leadership training seminar.

The seminar was designed to teach valuable skills to the upcoming leaders for the 2019-20 school year. Student leaders from the Student Government Association, the National Honor Society, Key Club, and many other clubs were represented at the seminar.

The seminar was comprised of three different workshops, each building on different aspects of leadership. The first workshop helped students to identify how self-awareness can help improve leadership. The students participated in a series of activities and had group discussion.

The second session was centered around different styles of leadership. Students took the DISC Assessment, a short survey that assessed students’ individual leadership styles. The results determined whether students were Dominating, Influencer, Steadiness, or Conscientious.

Class of 2020 member Dana Kullgren said, “I thought the leadership workshops were really informative and fun. I feel like I’ve gained a new perspective on being a leader and working with others from this event, and I hope that I can take what I’ve learned from it to be a better leader in the future.”

Participants took a short break for team-building games and lunch, and then it was on to the last workshop. Workshop #3 was called “Group Me” and taught students about the effects leadership can have on group dynamic. This session was thoroughly enjoyed by the students, especially the rap battle activity about the stages of group development.

“My favorite part was the rap battle. It really had us come together as a team and we pulled off something we didn’t think we could,” said junior leader Rachel Eaves.

Overall, the seminar was positively received. The student and staff participants all left feeling hopeful, educated, and excited for the leadership opportunities in the coming school year. `