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Student Leadership - So Important

8/29/2017

Susan Tigert

This doesn’t necessarily mean the person is a speaker in front of thousands or holds a political position. Leaders take on many shapes and forms, and so many times the truly effective leaders who make the most impact on lives are the ones who are behind the scenes.

This year at Calvary Day School, we have instituted a Student Ambassador program, which, by nature, is a behind the scenes role for these students. We started off the year with two training sessions that encompassed defining the role of an ambassador and even how to properly and confidently shake someone’s hand. Then we utilized these Student Ambassadors as group leaders for our New Student Orientation and our Freshmen Orientation. These students were commissioned with the task of greeting families as they entered the Worship Center, being available to answer questions, and then leading a small group of students for a campus tour and Q&A time. Throughout this new process, I was amazed by these students’ willingness to put themselves out there in an unfamiliar setting and wear their school uniform (before school even starts) to show examples of what to expect to these new students.

During the training, we stressed the importance of being an ambassador, and this role is more than one event. Student Ambassadors should be an extension of Christ’s hand to those who feel left out, scared, and unsure of the new surroundings they have been placed in. It is more than just the orientation - it is the hallway, the lunchroom, and even the weekends. How are we going to make these new students feel a part of the Calvary family? Just yesterday, one of the new students, who had just moved here from Ohio, stopped me and said how happy he is with his new school. He was thrilled to have familiar faces on the first day since he had a chance to meet some classmates at the orientation. Then, these Student Ambassadors had already invited him to going bowling on the weekend. Helping teenagers become more aware of their surroundings and less focused on their own lives is a goal of the Student Ambassador program. As believers we are called to help those in need, and a simple gesture of extending an invitation meant so much. That is true leadership, and I am so proud to be a part of this group!

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