For the ninth year in a row, CA combined resources with the High Mountain Institute (HMI) in Leadville to offer a leadership retreat for twenty-three seniors who were selected to be on the Community Leadership Team (CLT). This annual excursion provides an amazing training opportunity for the students, as they spend 48 hours together doing all sorts of activities at an elevation of 10,000 feet. During the retreat weekend, they are asked to learn quite a bit about leadership, group dynamics and communication, but even more about themselves, both as individuals and as a group. Going forward, their primary role will be as supportive mentors for the freshman class, with whom they will meet on a regular basis in advisories, starting next Monday on Orientation Day.  

Several faculty members, including Liza Skipwith, Steven Hammer, Meg Hill, Peter Horsch, Gabe Bernstein and I, along with a guest visit from Adrian Green and the support of HMI staff, worked with this stellar group of seniors at the retreat and will continue to do so throughout the year. All of the adult sponsors were amazed at how far these young men and women had come not just since last May, but also since their days as unsure, slightly awkward freshmen. While all of them have a track record of good citizenship, care for others, and eagerness to learn, their maturity and empathy as they enter senior year was impressive to see. They were stretched intellectually and emotionally and they responded incredibly well. Now the school community will benefit from their leadership this year.

Like the members of CLT, other seniors will step into major roles this year, taking on club leadership positions and other opportunities in service, sports and the arts. They will also rise to new academic challenges as they continue to shape and develop their interests.  They will be the standard bearers for the school. Based on what we have seen at the CLT retreat and also in the athletics realm these past two weeks, all signs indicate that this will be a positive year indeed.