 |
KENT in D.C. for Leadership Conference
By Emma Daniels, courtesy of Kent News |
Kayla Zenk ’12 recently attended the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.. Zenk, a valued Kent athlete, artist, Environmental club member, and honor roll student, was nominated for the program by Ms. Jenna Lynch. The program lasted six days, each of which was jam-packed with simulations and other engaging activities, including speakers and field trips around our nation’s capital.
The three main simulations were entitled “If I were President: Crisis in the Arctic,” “Testing the Constitution,” and “Model Congress.” In the first simulation, Zenk, and the nineteen other students that she worked with, each morphed from a high school student into a member of the executive branch, and worked together to deal with a mock international crisis. Zenk was elected chief of staff. The second simulation was a study of the Supreme Court and the 4th amendment, which addresses unreasonable search and seizure. The third simulation focused primarily on the amendment process. She said, “I’ve always had strong opinions,” and emphasized that all three simulations required her to “step up to the plate” and share them. She also stated that the simulations gave her a new love for debate and inspired her to join Kent Model United Nations.
Zenk also discussed the many learning opportunities that the program’s location provided for her and her fellow participants. She was able to explore numerous tourist attractions in Washington D.C., including Capitol Hill, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian museum, and the Korean War Memorial. She also was able to meet representatives of Connecticut, senators Joe Lieberman and Chris Murphy. Both political figures taught her a great deal about how the politicians deal with Connecticut’s issues in Washington. Three prominent leaders – Neil Willenson, the founder of Camp Heartland, a “safe haven for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS,” Paul Brundage, who works at NASA, and Adrian Smith, a republican congressman from Nebraska — also spoke to the group of students.
Reflecting back on her experience, Zenk commented that the program “boosted her confidence” and “forced her and the other participants to step out of their comfort zones.” She also said the program altered her perspective on leadership; she now thinks of it as a “mutual relationship between those who lead and those who follow” and says she has a newfound respect for leaders on both small and large scales.
