Eight WIS students spend summer building confidence, leadership skills at Lone Star Leadership Academies

For eight Whitesboro Intermediate School (WIS) fifth-graders, summer vacation meant more than sleeping in and taking a break from school. It meant stepping outside their comfort zones, making new friends and discovering what it means to be a leader. This summer, the students traded their backpacks for overnight bags and headed to Lone Star Leadership Academies, where they spent a week exploring Texas, tackling challenges and building confidence that they’ll carry with them into sixth grade and beyond.

Lone Star Leadership Academies are week-long, overnight leadership programs that give students an opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills while exploring Texas history, government, culture and career opportunities. Students from across Texas earn the opportunity to attend through educator nominations recognizing their leadership potential, academic achievement and involvement in their schools and communities.

The Lone Star Leadership Academy programs are facilitated by experienced Texas educators who provide engaging, hands-on learning experiences designed to inspire students to become confident leaders. Participants can attend academies in the Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio/Austin or Houston/Galveston regions, where they connect classroom learning with real-world experiences at destinations like the Texas State Capitol, Johnson Space Center, The Alamo, the Fort Worth Stockyards and other iconic Texas sites.

Along the way, students meet professionals from a variety of career fields, giving them a glimpse into potential educational and career opportunities.

For the past several years, WIS fifth-grade science and social studies teacher April Ollila has nominated around 30 students each year to be considered for the Lone Star Leadership Academies. This year, WIS had a record number of students participate, with eight ultimately confirming their attendance.

“I was so excited to see so many of our Whitesboro students take advantage of this opportunity,” Ollila said. “It’s the most we’ve ever had attend from our schools.”

This year’s participants were Emma Miles, Mason Welch, Mason Schultz, Maxwell Schultz, Kaiden Russell, Talon Cohorn, Joseph Axe and Ryder Greco. The Schultz brothers attended the Austin academy while everyone else attended the Dallas/Fort Worth academy.

When asked what they remembered most from the experience, the students were quick to name the many places they visited during their week at camp.

In Austin, highlights included the Tower of the Americas, a glass-bottom boat tour, exploring natural caverns and touring the Texas State Capitol. Maxwell Schultz even believes he had a celebrity sighting.

“I’m convinced I saw Greg Abbott at the capitol,” he said.

In Dallas/Fort Worth, students visited the National Medal of Honor Museum, the Perot Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

In addition to sightseeing and educational excursions, the academy included morning and evening classes where students learned about historical figures and places while developing important skills such as communication, collaboration and teamwork. Throughout the week, students were presented with challenges that required them to work together and step outside their comfort zones.

“I was really scared to do the zip line,” Miles said. “But my teammates encouraged me and finally convinced me to do it, and I’m so glad I did. It was so fun!”

For some of the students, the academy was their first experience being away from home without their families for an extended period of time.

“I was a little hesitant at first,” Russell said. “But I would definitely do this again.”

When asked how it felt to be nominated, all eight Whitesboro students agreed they were excited and grateful for the opportunity. In fact, after experiencing the academy once, some have already signed up to attend again next year. Three students even said they would like to eventually return as youth facilitators for the program.

Miles and Axe each held fundraisers over the summer to help cover the cost of attending their academies. Through a bake sale and lemonade sale, respectively, both students raised enough money to cover the full cost of their trips.
“It was a wonderful experience,” Axe’s mom, Jamie, said. “Joseph fundraised, and that in itself was phenomenal. He talked to buyers, explained the program and why he was raising money. By the time he was done, he was really taking initiative.”

“As a parent, I could really see a difference from the time I dropped Emma off to when I picked her up,” Jess Miles said. “The academy really gave her more confidence.”

Between the classes, sightseeing, lessons about historical people and places and the opportunity to make new friends, all eight Whitesboro students were thrilled to have participated in the Lone Star Leadership Academies.

“It was awesome,” Maxwell Schultz said.

For additional information about Education in Action’s leadership programming, call 817-562-4957 or visit Education in Action’s leadership programming page.