Time. Energy. Effort. Three significant factors that every leader should carry with them as they empower the community around them. On November 8th, eight members from Charter’s SGA headed on a road trip to Punta Gorda, Florida in which they would be met with hundreds of other students at the Florida Association of Student councils (FASC) leadership conference. After two days of networking and teamwork, PPCHS’s SGA was able to take away valuable life skills on what it takes to be a leader.
On the first day, all student government students gathered in Charlotte High School where they would begin this two day convention. Each school received a welcome bag with FASC shirts and notebooks to prepare for the event. As everyone walked to the large auditorium, cheers filled the room and arms waved in the air in excitement for the journey they would begin. After introductions from the FASC Executive board and director, a special keynote speaker came to the stage.
Motivational speaker Chris Collins shared and reiterated his formula to success: Time + Energy + Effort. Every leader needs to have the time, the energy, and the effort to create an impact in their community and help lead their society to success. While also pointing out that “perspective creates power.” It is of utmost importance to remember that the brain is a very powerful tool and if you look at the world in a positive light, you will find yourself surrounded by good things.
As leaders taking on different projects, Collins also emphasized how valuable it is to “do it from your heart or don’t do it all.” With every new idea and every new committee that is created in the leadership classroom or in the outside world, if you don’t commit to executing the project with intent of doing it passionately, then it is best not done at all.
With nodding heads and understanding minds, each student sitting in the auditorium had enlightened hearts. Collins finished his talk by reminding everyone: “Have the eyes to see, ears to listen, heart to love, and the feet to move. Do the work of self care, for your legacy, for the community, for your family, and for you.”
All students and advisors had dinner together in the cafeteria and with every meal taken from that day forward, students walked toward the front of the room for a special dance break. Hundreds of students rose from their seats and bounced to the beat of the music with choreographed dances that each student picked up on. A simple, yet effective way for students to feel comfortable in their new environment.
Junior Madison Jules exclaims, “It was genuinely so fun! There was a point in the trip where everyone immediately knew to walk to the front of the room after their meal because it was a dance break. Music definitely brought us together.”
On this trip, dance and music played a big role in the lesson being taught to these leaders: teamwork. Once announced that there would be a lip sync battle for a $280 grand prize, schools quickly gathered together to plan their choreographed dances and music they would be lip synching to. PPCHS was ready to represent their school on stage and finalized a dance to “Love is an open door” from Disney’s Frozen movie.
Junior Giana Marte explains, “We had to learn quick thinking and problem solving skills. We only had a couple minutes to prepare, so we had to listen to each other while also making sure we had fun as a team.”
On day two, all student government leaders received a ticket with three different workshops and room numbers. As each student made their way to their designated room, they were met with high school presenters and other students from schools all over the state of Florida. Each session began with an ice breaker and chatter started to rise from each person in the room who each found something they had in common.
Student-led workshops took place ranging from advertisement, to school spirit and leadership opportunities which inspired other SGA members with ideas to take back to their own schools. Later that day, professional leaders held their own workshops that took place and cultivated lessons on community, communication, inclusivity, and creativity. With a total of four workshops attended by each student, they were able to learn something new from a variety of perspectives.
“Attending the FASC convention allowed me to see a different side of what it means to be a leader. Not only is it being a role model for students in our school, but it’s encouraging them to become the best they can be in order to make school a better place. It was definitely a great way to connect with students from other schools and listen to different motivational speakers to learn new ways to improve myself as a leader, and my school,” Jules further explained.
After a series of team building games and problem solving sessions, students were welcomed back to the auditorium for the keynote speaker of the day, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. Zihuatanejo is a world slam poetry champion and teacher who shared his biggest tips for successful writing and most importantly how to succeed in your personal aspirations. Sharing his top 6 skills for writing:
- Have a great first sentence
- Check your verbs
- Show don’t tell
- Use sentence variation
- Take up Space
- Have a great last sentence
Senior SGA president Jaelyn Perez proudly shares, “SGA helps build new connections, generate fresh ideas, and develop team leadership skills. It also encourages involvement in state activities and strengthens our organization by learning from other schools. Without this collaboration, SGA would lack structure and opportunities for growth.”
As the FASC kickoff conference came to a close, students said goodbye to their new friends and boarded their vehicles to go back home. Taking with them a notebook filled with notes, a device with plenty of new connections, and a heart filled with spirited motivation. Now back at PPCHS, the Student Government Association here at Charter hopes to bring to life all these new ideas and lessons that this event was able to foster. Go jags!
