High School Leadership Interviews

Being  in Kiwanis in Woodlake means doing lots of interviews with high school students, probably because Sally Pace is in Kiwanis. Sally won a national award as a high school counselor for garnering more scholarships for more students than any school our size in the nation. 

But this post is about the kids. Our Kiwanis group pays for two, possibly three, students to go to a HOBY leadership conference in Los Angeles. "HOBY’s flagship program, the State Leadership Seminar (LS) is designed to help high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, workplace and community. Students explore their own personal leadership skills while learning how to lead others and make a positive impact in their community."

Alice Fesperman, Jenny House and I asked each candidate 10 questions after reading their resumes and bio statements. Eleven students interviewed for three positions, and EVERY one of them was outstanding. Some of the students you might expect to be leaders. I can't keep all their individual facts straight, and indeed it is privileged information that was shredded once we finished the interviews. So if you will pardon my references to who did what, I'll tell you a little about the experience of interviewing eleven outstanding Woodlake High School students.

One student answered that one of her leadership qualities was her name. It definitely paved the way for her to become a leader, but it didn't force her to spend nearly every waking hour volunteering for band, Key Club projects, helping at school, and going out for at least three or four sports in addition to making straight A's. Other students didn't have the same advantages. Several of the student's parents had not finished elementary school, or were no longer together, but they encouraged their students to do study hard and finish school, and go on to college. Many students helped their parents at their jobs, translating, cleaning, training, coaching all while participating in many high school activities.  Tears flowed as they talked about their parents' sacrifices or how much they encouraged and supported them.

These fifteen year old students know about time management. Each of them gained confidence from participating in either sports, music, clubs, or drama. Most of them had passionate opinions which they didn't mind airing in the face of opposition about a myriad of cultural ills from prejudice to trash on campus.  One student had already completed the 85 hours of community service required for graduation - not even halfway through his sophomore year of high school. All of them spoke and wrote articulately, and in their spare time liked to read. Spare time? They all wanted to make their families proud. For everyone we asked, this was their first interview.

I went home from that experience emotionally exhausted from trying to pick three students who would get to go to this conference, leaving the rest out. I've done many interviews in my profession, but none where all the students were so highly qualified and so young. These kids inspired me. They were respectful, hard-working, full of hope, friendly, confident, dressed like professionals, and are already true leaders recognized and nominated by teachers in the schools and respected by their peers.

They are more than our hope for the future, they are our hope for today. I am a better person for having interviewed them.