Recent High School Graduates Learn Life Skills and from Youth Leadership Summit

Performing at the conference

Public speaking and tomato masks

Boldly leading vocally

“The summit taught students how to lead locally, set ambitious goals and grow their public speaking and life skills,” said American Preparatory Academy West Valley II GEAR UP site coordinator Heidi Sanders. “It was rewarding to see them take advantage of this great opportunity to meet and work with new people from across the country.”

The summit entailed lecture-style workshops and interactive activities, with one topic on moving forward despite fear. One highlight was a public speaking challenge, during which students performed a skit before 1,800 attendees at the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) conference.

“I’ve never put a skit together before, so it was interesting to put it together with a bunch of people I don’t know,” said Elise Christenson, an APA West Valley II graduate. “I loved learning about how other people live and seeing how they interact with others in a leadership atmosphere.”

Christenson is grateful for the other resources GEAR UP has provided since middle school. She participated in virtual science events during the pandemic, learned about college life out of Utah on a bus tour to Portland, Oregon, a river rafting trip with Southern Utah University science professors, plus workshops that taught her how to navigate applying for federal student aid.

Sanders noted that many of the students’ previous experiences in student government gave them confidence in completing this task.

The summit, led by Seeds Training, focused on personal accountability, leadership strategies and practical skills for success. Christenson recalled one activity that encouraged students to “live above the line” by avoiding excuses and taking responsibility for mistakes.

“They had giant sticky notes with diagrams,” she said. It was easy to see the lesson and take it in.”

While the experience was inspiring, a long day tested the students’ endurance.

“They worked on skits from early morning to 10 p.m.,” Sanders said. “They are so resilient -- it was fun to see them perform the skit the next morning,” she said.

To prepare for the trip, the students organized a fundraiser selling pizza, snacks and drinks during lunch periods. In three days, they raised $1,800, which allowed them to enjoy sightseeing and unique meals in San Francisco.

“A lot of us were on the student government, so we had the platform to advertise,” Christenson said.

During free time, the group toured Alcatraz Island, Pier 39, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience, Chinatown, a local beach and the Golden Gate Bridge. For some, it was their first chance to explore the city thoroughly.

“It was great to see and do everything,” Christenson said.

Sanders emphasized that travelling was a valuable part of the learning experience.

Sanders said that because some of these students come from an under-resourced school, even the traveling and sightseeing were great learning experiences for them. “Travel teaches kids many practical things – like getting to flights on time, navigating public transportation and problem-solving if something goes wrong. They will need those skills in college.”

All eight students plan to apply what they learned at the summit as they begin their first year of college this fall.

USU STARS GEAR UP is a federally funded grant program at USU that serves students in under-resourced schools throughout urban and rural Utah from seventh grade through their first year of post-secondary education. USU STARS GEAR UP site coordinators and college advisers will help students navigate college and career-related challenges during this first year. 

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