Graduation Speech: Greater Green Bay Teen Leadership

I’d like to thank everyone for coming this evening, and thank my classmates for giving me the opportunity to speak before you. For those of you who don’t know, Greater Green Bay Teen Leadership is a group composed of sophomores, graduating in 2020, from several high schools in the Greater Green Bay area. We joined this program to focus on the advancement of our leadership and the development of subsequent skills – all with the goal of creating a vision and implementing these learnings into our everyday life.

The foundation of our program resides upon five guiding pillars outlined in the book The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices For Becoming An Exemplary Leader, including: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging

Here we learned about economic development within the Green Bay area, specifically the rising Titletown District, and the importance of clarifying values. This includes finding your voice and affirming shared values. I am fortunate enough to be in the presence of several ardent leaders, who exemplify these commitments. Furthermore, we traveled to the Green Bay Police Department. Chief Smith explained to us the vital duty of setting the example. Through observing law enforcement practices, we came to understand how to live the aforementioned shared values and thereby teach others to model those values as well.

Our second session day focused on inspiring a shared vision. We had the privilege of hearing from several community leaders at the Green Bay Courthouse, including Mayor Jim Schmitt, Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach, and other political and governmental figures, who shared their individual and unique perspectives on envisioning the future and enlisting others. Our walking tour of downtown Green Bay then solidified these ideals by showcasing the innovation and future of our city. Here we were able to imagine the possibilities of our leadership, and animate our

Held at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, we got to hear from several university faculty members, including the Director of Admissions and Head Cross Country coach. They enlightened us on the necessity of always being present, for without focus, it is difficult to foster collaboration and facilitate relationships, and it is virtually impossible to strengthen others. Through our experiences thus far, we had known that enabling others to act was no small feat. It is only through enhancing self-determination and coaching for competence and confidence of others that it is