To further develop early leadership skills among area youth, East Henderson High School is hosting a first-ever conference of its kind for over 100 rising student leaders from across Henderson County Public Schools.
The vision for the conference came from Katie Rogers, Media Specialist at EHHS. Her winning grant application from the Rotary Club of Hendersonville got the project off the ground. Additional donations from Pardee UNC Health, Jeter Mountain Farm, and Chick-fil-A are also making the event possible.
Student participants will come from the high school Student Government Associations as well as other students interested in learning more about leadership. “Even students who simply need a ‘shoulder tap’ to realize their leadership potential will be welcomed,” said Rogers, who is also facilitating the event.
As the advisor at EHHS’s Student Government Association, Rogers said that she wanted to build real leaders who could go out into the world after graduation with a set of skills that aren’t necessarily taught in a traditional classroom.
In her grant application to the Hendersonville Rotary Club, Rogers said, “This conference idea will allow my small goal to become much bigger, reaching the entire county.” Rogers said she hopes to expand the conference into a yearly event held at different HCPS high schools.
“My dream is that this conference sparks new ideas and mindsets that will help students lead within their schools and in an interconnected community of student leaders in HCPS,” she said.
In much the same way adult leaders’ conferences take shape, the student conference itinerary will consist of breakfast, opening, and closing keynote speakers, and several breakout sessions that the students can attend.
