Jenks Leadership Program
Ashton Gillespie and Cody Baker
In January, student directors (Class of 2018) Cody Baker ā18 and Ashton Gillespie ā18 attended theĢż2018 Leadership ConferenceĢżat the United States Naval Academy. The theme of this yearās conference was Breaking Barriers: Obstacles are Opportunities. They heard from many speakers including Navy SEALs, a former Blue Angel, business leaders, and Naval Academy leadership, and the conferenceās Forrestal panel that featured the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, the Honorable Madeleine Albright, and General James Conway. Though each speaker contributed unique ideas, there were four principles that the speakers universally recognized as the keys to being a successful leader: i) beliefs, ii) vision, iii) vulnerability, and iv) focus.
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Class of 2018 Jenks Graduation
Joe Bonito and Susan Kourtis
Susan Kourtis ā18 was the Jenks Class of 2018ĢżJoseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership AwardĢżrecipient. Susan was chosen by Jenks Class of 2018 student directors Ashton Gillespie ā18 and Cody Baker ā18 for embodying the Ignatian mindset of āfinding God in all things.ā According to Gillespie, Susan sees good and potential in everything and everyone, she is genuine and sincere in her desire to make the world a better place, and exemplifies the Jenks motto of āleadership for service, service for othersā in her everyday life.
Class of 2018 Projects
TheĢżKids for Healthy MindsĢżteam created lesson plans for elementary school teachers to help them talk proactively and positively about mental health with their students. The Building Bridges: Mattapan Teen Center and Boston College team facilitated a forum for Ļć½¶Šć students to share their perspectives on high school, the college process, and their experiences at Ļć½¶Šć as people of color with students at the Mattapan Teen Center.ĢżThe Jenks X Boston Medical Center team redesigned a waiting room space for children at BMC that fosters a positive, educational, and comfortable hospital experience. The Rosieās Place Arts Initiative brought music and crafts to an underprivileged community where residents were encouraged and inspired to use the arts for personal expression. The Bursting the Bubble: Expanding the Service Culture at Ļć½¶Šć team created an online matching module to make it easier for clubs on campus to share their talents with those in need in the Greater Boston area. Working with Ļć½¶Šć Bigs, a campus-based mentoring program where āLittle Brothers and Sistersā from the Franklin Field Housing Development in Dorchester come to campus to do activities with their āBig Brothers and Sisters,ā the Little Impacts: Teaching Littles a Sustainable Lifestyle team created a program designed to increase awareness of environmental issues.
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