Developing Future Community Leaders

SCHERTZ AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS WHILE LEARNING ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY AS PART OF THE FIRST CLASS OF THE SCHERTZ YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM.

By KIRA VILLARREAL

The program is conducted by the Schertz Parks & Recreation Department and was developed to give area students a behind-the-scenes look at their local government in action while developing future community leaders and informed citizens.

The free program is open to any high school student (public, private, or home-schooled) who lives in Schertz or is part of the SchertzCibolo-Universal City Independent School District. It follows the same general calendar as the school year, beginning in November and consisting of one full-day session each month from November through April, with a graduation ceremony in May. The first class consisted of seven students who represented Clemens and Steele high schools as well as St. Mary’s Hall. They began the program last fall and will graduate this coming May.

According to Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director Lauren Shrum, the Schertz Young Leaders Program was intended to benefit both the students and the local community.

“We decided to establish the Schertz Young Leaders Program to provide opportunities for exceptional high school students to learn more about their community and local government in hopes that they become the leaders of tomorrow who will go on to serve this community,” said Shrum. “The program shows young people the many facets of a great communityeducation, economic development, quality of life, core services, and our military connection.”

Each monthly program session has a different theme. This year’s themes included leadership, education, local government, and community partnerships. The sessions begin with leadership training in the morning, and the City has partnered with consulting firm Operation Total Leadership to provide this training on various leadership subtopics including personality styles, decision-making, communication tools, and emotional intelligence. In the afternoon, the students visit places like City Hall, the Police and Fire Departments, and Randolph Air Force Base to hear from various community leaders who serve as guest speakers for the session.

After each session, the students create an action plan including a selfassignment for them to practice one of the skills that they’ve learned. During the graduation ceremony in May, each student will give a short presentation about the results of one or more of their action plans, explaining how they’ve been able to implement the program skills in their lives and how it has benefitted them.

Marisa Estremera is one of the members of the current class, and she believes that the program has been an enjoyable and impactful learning opportunity that has helped to prepare her for the future.

“Getting the opportunity to meet and learn from all the people that make the city what it is was a truly fantastic experience,” she said. “It allowed me to learn how a city conducts its business and how many passionate people it takes to make Schertz what it is today.”

As they look forward to the completion of the first year, the program staff are already planning for the next.

Recreation Manager Cassandra Paddock notes that they are considering expanding the timeframe of next year’s program to begin in October with a leadership teambuilding day. She also stated that they plan to gather feedback directly from the students as they look for opportunities for improvement.

“At the end of each program year, we plan to survey the students to get ideas for next year,” she said. “We’ll also meet with our application review team and evaluate how we can continue to grow and improve the program.”

Students who are interested in participating in next year’s class will need to go through an application process which includes filling out an application form, writing an essay, and providing their GPA and information about their extracurricular activities. The program is expected to begin accepting applications for the 20232024 school year in the fall, and the application form will be posted on Schertz.com/youngleaders.

For more information on the Schertz Young Leaders Program, please contact Schertz Parks & Recreation at (210) 619-1850.