I'm ALIVE!!!

This is the text I received from Drew on his was back to campus. Drew was clearly out of his comfort zone and has lots of experiences to tells us about but we are thankful he had this opportunity to grow and develop as a young adult. Below you will see bits of what his leader sent to the parents. Well done Drew.

Dear Student Council Parents,

Hello from VES! I hope you are all having a wonderful evening and have heard from your students that we returned safely to campus after an incredible camping adventure at Lake Moomaw. As the Student Council Advisor I just wanted to say thank you for giving your child up a few days early and allowing them to join us on the Student Leadership Retreat! 

It was great to spend some quality-unplugged time with each of your children and to get to focus in on some important aspects of leadership within the VES community.  Through a series of chores, group discussions and personal introspection each council member ventured outside of his/her comfort zone in an effort to further enhance his/her effectiveness as a leader. 

During our final group discussion session each member was asked to describe an event during the retreat where he/she learned something about his/herself and to identify what kind of leader he/she aspires to be during the coming year. I could not be more proud of the thought each of them put into this task and of their receptiveness to feedback.

Drew confronted his discomfort with public speaking and realized his effectiveness in engaging his peers in one on one conversation. Feedback from his fellow council members showed that even though he might not be the most vocal he has a positive influence on those around him and inspires his peers on a regular basis. 

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this group throughout the year and look forward to the ways each of them will impact the community. It was awesome to see them come together and realize what they each have to offer. 

Best,