Senior Summer Series: Part Five - National Student Leadership Summit
SENIOR SUMMER SERIES: PART FIVE – NATIONAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Madi Darr was given the privilege to attend the National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS) as a part of the AAA Big Red Student Advisory Council. The council consists of one student from each of the AAA’s nine activity districts. The diverse council consists of students from 1A to 7A with a wide range of activities and athletic involvement. Madi attended monthly meetings in central Arkansas with the goal of improving activities for all students.
From July 23 – 25, the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) hosted more than 160 student ambassadors from 30 states and Canada at the National Student Leadership Summit. The three-day event, held at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, helped the student ambassadors learn new techniques and ideas to take back to their respective teams and states. As one of these ambassadors, Madi attended various four hour-long sessions on topics ranging from perspective and inclusion to managing digital identity on social media. She said she learned valuable lessons from students and presenters who didn’t necessarily have the same Christian worldview as her. The presentation that impacted her the most was one featuring students in a video that challenged her to think about how she treats others and to consider what difficult situations they could be facing.
After the workshop sessions, the student ambassadors traveled to nearby Plainfield High School to interact and play with athletes from Special Olympics Indiana. This part of the experience was a major highlight for Madi. She says that the friendships she forged during this event will be long-lasting. Madi will serve on the AAA Big Red Student Advisory Council one more time, and she is looking forward to learning more from the diverse group of students from all over Arkansas that she now calls friends.