Janelle Wellons '16: Leadership Training

I became an activities mentor for high school students in the Greater Boston area through the Leadership Training Institute (LTI) program just last year. My role in the program was to help the students acquire leadership skills and experience personal growth that they could use to present and implement sustainable community service projects by the end of the program.

The students were able to walk away with a better understanding of themselves and their potential. They had the confidence and skill sets necessary to present their own ideas and keep them running even when the program ended in late spring. Some of the same students also had the opportunity to come back during the summer and be mentors for other students in a program called HSSP. The activities and exercises learned during LTI became the very things they taught during the summer and the growth they experienced became apparent during that time.

Even the most put together students improved the way they spoke, learned, and listened after the mentoring sessions each week. They had become leaders of many flavors and the inspiration in my life. I gained an appreciation for the many facets of growth as I watched my mentees talk about the amazing projects they had spent months working on. It was an experience that I feel is important to pass on to others and I encourage my friends to become a part of it now.

Janelle Wellons '16