Middle School Students Attend Leadership Academy at Wells College
Ed Smith 8th grader Bre’Ona Stephens learned that leadership can mean forging your own path.“We heard stories of how other people grew up and how they turned out,” she explained. “Some of them lived in bad neighborhoods and saw bad things, but they didn’t let that stop them. They kept going and pushing through, and they went on to be successful.”
At the Power of Youth Summer Leadership Academy, Bre’Ona and 15 of her SCSD classmates traveled to Wells College in Aurora, NY for a three-night, four-day trip to help them develop their leadership, social, and emotional skills. Hosted by Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC) and Cool Speak, the program was offered to SCSD students who are part of the district’s new GEAR UP program – aiming to help support students as they complete their schooling and encourage them to pursue higher education.
Over the course of the Power of Youth academy, students toured the Wells College campus while completing a scavenger hunt; they participated in a variety of teambuilding activities to help them put their own leadership skills into practice; and they learned about the power their voices have to help them change their own lives and the lives of their families, communities, and the world.
For Bre’Ona, simply being on a college campus was motivation.
“My best friend was on the trip too, so we got to stay in the dorms together,” she shared. “It was so fun – it made me look forward to college. I want to be a physical therapist one day, so I want to major in biology and psychology. I hope that GEAR UP and experiences like this help me better understand what college will be like.”
Lincoln 8th grader Ahjaylah Moore said the trip marked her first time visiting a college campus – but definitely won’t be her last.
“I thought this was just going to be a normal college trip where they showed us around and talked to us about classes,” Ahjaylah said. “It was so much more, though – it was fun! I’m so glad this was my first experience at a college. I felt inspired. I learned about leadership and how to be my own person instead of just copying others. I want to be a pediatrician when I grow up. I love being with kids and working with kids and I think I’d be great at it. So I definitely want to go to college! Experiences like this are really going to help keep me motivated.”
To learn more about the GEAR UP program and how it’s supporting students as they work toward their high school graduation and beyond, visit: https://www.syracusecityschools.com/gearup.
