My Key Leader Experience by Sapna (Northern Virginia)

Key Leader is a weekend of leadership education for high school students sponsored by Kiwanis. I had the privilege of attending last spring and it was amazing. 

Kiwanis Key Leader is briefly described by most advocates as a team building and learning experience. Upon arriving at Arlington Echo this past May, I had simplistic expectations of what would come out of that weekend: I'll make new friends, I'll learn some things about being a good leader, and I'll get to embarrass myself a bit on the ropes course. Nowhere on the brochures for the weekend was the true value of the Key Leader experience conveyed.

This weekend was more than a team building experience; it was the inception of a family. The adults and students alike bonded into a family of support. The trust and belief in one another was encouraging and inspiring. Knowing that so many people who had just met me had faith in me was invaluable. I believe in myself today after the reassurance from the individuals at Key Leader, who made it seem like I was worth believing in. Tangible examples of the closeness of this family are the Key Leader Grams - slips of paper on which fellow Key Leaders could write things they admired about your personality. Still looking at them every once in awhile, the Grams continue to fuel my passion for service and leadership in my role as Lieutenant Governor of Division 20B in Key Club. I am able to stand up here today, confident and enthusiastic about this program because of the support and love I felt emanate from my fellow Key Leaders.

Key Leader is the ideal opportunity for an individual to grow as a leader and as a person. From analyzing problem solving methods to prioritizing our values, the weekend prepared me to push my own limits, try new things, and be optimistic. Every student deserves the opportunity to attend this program because it will change the way they look at the world for the rest of his or her life. I left Key Leader bubbling with energy to apply myself as soon as I got home. The effects were phenomenal. From strengthening my relationship with my sister, to helping me communicate effectively in Key Club, Key Leader truly has given me the tools and motivation to be a better person. I would like to thank all of the Kiwanis clubs for their continued support in empowering students to lead us not only in the future, but today.

There will be 3 Key Leader Weekends in 2012 -- May 27-29, at Arlington Echo, Millersville, Maryland; April 18-20, at Jamestown 4-H Educational Center, Williamsburg, Virginia; and November 9-11, at Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Front Royal, Virginia. For more information, please contact District Chair Nicole McDermott (Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, Virginia) at capitalkeyleader@gmail.com or 703.829.5481.

For more information about Key Leader, please visit www.youtube.com/CapitalKeyLeader and watch live student testimonials about the quality of the program. The students featured on our YouTube Channel are all Capital District "kids." Also, search Capital District Key Leader on Facebook and like it or visit key-leader.org.