Adapted by last year’s Freshman class, and now continued by this year’s Sophomore and Freshman classes, Legacy, a student based group led by some of Neuqua staff, shows the importance of leading not only others, but also yourself.
“Legacy is our student leadership group that focuses on helping students lead themselves, lead others and eventually move forward as servant leaders,” explains Mrs. Wilson, the Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction, now leading the Sophomore Legacy group. “Legacy stands for Leadership, Engagement, Gratitude, Advocacy, Community and You. Through this year, they focus on their strengths and the qualities that good leaders need in order to be successful.” Wilson meets with her students every first Wednesday of the month to discuss scenarios and solutions in which showing leadership can be difficult.
“First, I’d like to thank Ms. Pentaris and Mr. Fitzgerald for their partnership and teamwork in developing our LEGACY leadership program at the freshman level,” says Mr. Perry, the Assistant Principal for the Birkett Center and one of the leaders of Freshman Legacy. “We’ve had different iterations of leadership programs over the years and decided on 23-24 it was time for an overhaul.”
Coming up with an unique group focusing on the freshmen can require careful planning, especially if the leaders wish to expand the group even further. “With LEGACY, we started fresh for the 23-24 school year and started with the question, ‘What are the most important, foundational aspects of leadership that we’d want to focus on for freshman students?’ This leadership academy was developed to build, support and encourage student leadership at Neuqua Valley High School. During freshman year, we focus on the first step of our leadership pyramid… ‘Leading Yourself.’I always say that as an organization, students make up the majority of our stakeholders.”
The significance of Legacy is that they are mostly based on students’ engagement in discussions. Either inquiring their thoughts or uncertainties on the topic, future lessons are made. “It’s important that we consider their experience and input when we’re making important decisions. During our Sophomore phase of LEGACY, we transition the focus to “Leading Others”. Our next steps are in progress to work with Juniors and Seniors on the pinnacle of the leadership pyramid, learning how to be a ‘Servant Leader.’” The Freshmen occasionally meet during both ACCESS and their lunch periods.
Planning ahead to meet up with students is important, considering this is a selective group who were nominated by teachers in Freshman year, each with an unique experience in leading. Alongside with the set curriculum, Wilson uses students’ responses to plan her meetings ahead of time. “From there, this year, I have used what I know about that curriculum and also used the feedback of our Legacy students to organize the meetings,” says Wilson. “For example, I ask students what they needed more help with when it came to leadership.”
Students’ feedback is crucial for Legacy to run, knowing their strengths and weaknesses can be the foundation for better lessons in leadership. Wilson and Perry have both found similar feedback from students. “Students have shared that they need help putting their skills into action,” says Wilson. “For example, what does “being responsible” or “good communication” really mean as a leader?
In addition, our sophomores students have expressed great interest in learning how to work through difficult situations with peers. In some cases, we cover concepts in a way that they’ve never thought of before,” explains Perry. “Take for example our lesson on struggle and failure. Many of our students have never had someone in their life tell them that it’s okay to struggle and it’s okay to fail. Often this is the way we grow the most…It’s not all positives though. We also hear that NVHS is a place that can be very competitive when it comes to leadership. Students are exploring areas they can become the best version of themselves while also lifting up those around them.”
Receiving advice from our elders is also a great part of Legacy. It can change the way students lead others and themselves. Here are some big takeaways from being part of Legacy and a student at Neuqua: “Be kind to yourself,” says Wilson. “Be kind to each other. We are all human, and we get a new chance every day to learn, grow, do good in the world and support each other. Don’t waste it. Know that every single one of you has the ability to be a leader,” says Perry. “Look in the mirror today, tomorrow and the next and say, ‘You are a leader!’ Give yourself grace and forgiveness when you feel like you’ve fallen short. Start that next day with positive self-talk, remember the reflection from the night before and give it another go!”
Lessons taught in Legacy not only serve for this group, but also to everyone at Neuqua. With many involved in clubs, sports and projects, leading can be a big part of how we carry on with our actions. As a member of Legacy myself, remember to take into account others around you and also yourself.
