Huntington Trio Participates in Youth Leadership Conference
Three Huntington students engaged in specialized leadership training at a pair of recent conferences sponsored by the Virginia-based Congressional Youth Leadership Council that brought together many of the top young people in the state.
Seventh grader Alex Castillo and eighth graders Brent Filippini and Alexis Weitzner were nominated by Maryann Daly, who in the past worked with the students in her capacity as a SEARCH program teacher.
The mission of the National Young Leaders State Conference is simple: “To foster and inspire young people to achieve their full leadership potential.” Mr. Castillo and Ms. Weitzner attended the conference in Westchester while Mr. Filippini traveled to the state capital in Albany for the conference there.
The CYLC chooses students for participation in the training sessions that have “demonstrated leadership potential and a history of academic achievement who will contribute to the strength and character of the National Young Leaders State Conference – outstanding individuals representing a variety of backgrounds and possessing a broad range of interests and goals.”
“This is really a prestigious group of kids from schools all over the state,” said Mrs. Daly, who nominates former SEARCH students each year. The CYLC said it hopes to attract “the most mature and independent individuals possible” within the target age group.
The Huntington students engaged in four days of leadership activities that sought to develop a sense of decisiveness and confidence in them and to inspire them “to act upon their dreams of making a difference in their communities while maintaining the courage of their convictions.”
According to its website, “The National Young Leaders State Conference in New York is a unique, life-changing experience specifically geared toward eighth and ninth grade students readying for this critical phase in their life. This regional conference welcomes scholars from New York. The intense four-day curriculum focuses on eight core-leadership power tools: communication, conflict resolution, decision making, goal setting, group dynamics, leadership techniques, project management and self awareness.”
The Huntington trio are all well-regarded by classmates and teachers and have earned top grades and participated in co-curricular activities while at the intermediate level and
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