In the middle of Lent, with a theme of “Full to the Brim”, six Holy Trinity high school students stepped out of their comfort zone and stepped up to a dynamic leadership experience at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. Most students navigating through any high school have their cups overflowing – homework, teacher and parent expectations, sports, extracurricular activities, peer relationships and sometimes, just trying to get from one class to the next through crowded hallways is a chore. Besides a day off from New Prague High School, the students came away with much more.
Throughout the years, Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations (GACAC) has conducted a leadership seminar specifically geared towards high school students. Pastor Alicia Hilding states, “It was great to travel with a small group of high school students to learn about ourselves, our faith, our values, and principles of leadership while immersed in an ELCA College experience. We shared the day with other high school students from across the state and learned from some incredible leaders and people of faith at Gustavus: Dr. Kathi Tunheim (Vice President for Mission, Strategy, and Innovation), Dr. Doug Thompson (Vice President for Equity and Inclusion), and Rev. Grady St. Dennis (Director of Church Relations and College Chaplain). At the end of the day, each of our students stood in front of the group and shared how they would hope to implement one thing into their leadership when they go back home.”
Based on the comments from the Holy Trinity students, the Step Up Leadership Conference was a success. Avery N. said that she enjoyed it and would recommend it to her friends. “I really liked Dr. Thompson – he was funny and easy to relate to. It was a good experience talking to people I don’t know and getting out of my comfort zone.” Another favorite of Avery’s was playing games in the car on the way home (Thanks, Lauren!)Taylor H. stated she would attend this leadership session again because, “The sessions were eye opening and informative. Lessons learned from the sessions could be implemented immediately. It was a fun experience to try something new and learn about topics that aren’t taught in the school day.”
Carson S. replied that he enjoyed the “personal” activities. “We were given a list of leadership traits and we had to circle what we thought our five best leadership qualities were . I also like spending the whole day on a college campus and eating lunch in the Gustavus cafeteria – whatever we wanted for free! I would recommend this experience to others because it was fun and different from a normal routine.”
Ella H. summed up her experience by saying, “The Step Up Day looked into leadership and how everyone plays an important part. It also shows the importance of a community because we each have a role to play. No one can do it all! I would definitely recommend it!”
Isaiah P. recalls his day by stating, “I was able to hear the stories of different people and how they have used their experiences to become a leader. They shared the steps to becoming a leader and we did many activities learning about what makes a leader.”
Emmy W. had this to say about her day, “Step Up gave me the opportunity to learn about being a leader, not just in church, but in any setting. I would definitely recommend it. I got to talk with some interesting people, learned a lot about myself and had a lot of fun. I am glad I got the opportunity to spend some time learning about something that will benefit me forever.”Not only did these students enjoy a day away from high school, they are some of the key members of the Holy Trinity High School Youth Group. Lauren Petersen, new Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministries accompanied Pastor Alicia and the students to the Step Up Leadership Day, and is working hard to kick-start a strong high school program at Holy Trinity. In fact, the group recently chose a new name to represent themselves – “Agape”. Agape (ah-gah-pay) comes from the Greek word that means unconditional and enduring love for all from God. Lauren states, “Being able to listen to what these individuals had to say and share with the rest of the group was extremely rewarding. Every person is a leader in their own way and we all can benefit from listening to each other. This experience was really eye opening for me to better understand what leadership means to those students. That will most definitely help us figure out where to start as we begin a new chapter with Agape and see a glimpse of what it could potentially grow into. We have amazing youth and I’m excited to see where this will take us!”
Agape is open to all high school and college-age students and meets on Wednesday nights. All students are invited to eat supper together at 5 pm, worship together at 6 pm and end their evening with Agape from 6:45 – 8:00 pm.
Written by Karen A. Taylor, Web Manager
March 31, 2022
