Leadership Challenge Brings Out Greenies' Best
Grade-specific program builds on everyday development at Christ School
Beau Hecimovich '20 was groggy and in dire need of some slumber. A typical Saturday morning became anything but for the sophomore through Christ School's Leadership Challenge.
Beau and the rest of the fourth form were roused from their beds on October 7 for team-building exercises at nearby Montreat College. "At first, I didn't really want to go because I was still tired and wanted to sleep in," Beau said. "But once we got there, the activities were a lot of fun and you really needed to be a team with students you were with. Overall, everyone picked each other up to get through the challenges. I feel it brought me even closer to the friends I knew. And because I had never met some of the kids in my group, it was great to get to know them, and be challenged with them!"
Gabe Wiznitzer '209 agreed with those sentiments.
""I think the Leadership Challenge is a good way of spending time with our classmates, and it also is a good way to get to know them more," he said. "It has brought me closer to my classmates."
Leadership development is constant in a Christ School education. The Leadership Challenge is a part of the process, building on what the boys have learned through other avenues such as athletics, clubs, community service, the Outdoor Program, and everyday student life.
Each grade level at Christ School participates in the Leadership Challenge for two Wednesdays and two Saturdays per semester. There are a pair of life-building sessions, one team-building session, and a service session. Ideally, the program molds boys in the younger grade levels into fully-formed leaders by their senior year. The seniors will learn life skills for college, such as how to manage their finances and the pitfalls of things such as sexual harassment.
The service theme for this school year's Leadership Challenge, which is Riparian/Wetlands Restoration Projects, was recommended by William David '21.
"I suggested the theme of water quality because we needed projects that could be done in three different seasons. And the live staking work planned could be done in months when the tree used for stakes are dormant," William said. "It was a practical reason but I think it worked out to be the best choice because classes are not getting the same exact project each time, so they learn about different topics and get to do different types of work. (Director of Residential Life Isaac Rankin) has allowed me to attend all the projects. I am happy to help out. Our school is making a real contribution and the conservation professionals we work with have been impressed with what our students have done."
