New “leadership ambassador” program set to return this year
The Leadership Ambassador program is a joint program with the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. It allows students the opportunity to be leaders in the school as well as see leadership roles in the community. After last school year’s successful first year, the program is set to return to Sevier Middle.
“We help the school and the community,” Gillian Brents said. “Also, we provide a good example for other students.”
Ella Smith agreed.
“It is a program where we help fix problems in the school,” she said.
All students have the opportunity to apply.
We hold interviews to get to know students a little better”, the group’s sponsor, Lynna Bingham, said. “We find out why they want to be a part of this group. We select as many students as we can that we feel truly want to take a leadership role in the school and community.”
Some students were invited to apply.
“I got a paper one day,” Smith said. “I wanted to do it, so I did.”
Others, like Sadejia Beaver, joined in a different way.
“One day, in the morning, I heard them talk about the program over the intercom, and they said a teacher I knew was going to run the program,” she said. “So, I asked her about it.”
The activities the program participated in last year include the “Isaiah 1:17” drive with Miss Sullivan County and a project to beautify the Sevier atrium.
“We got to water the plants in the entire school,” Smith said.
Brents was excited about working with members of the community.
Last year, the students in Leadership Ambassadors had a lot of positive experiences.
I got to meet new people from other grade levels,” Brents said. “We [also] got to meet Miss Sullivan County.”
Leadership Ambassadors also faced many challenges.
“[Our biggest challenges were] finding time that everyone can meet and working with manageable projects,” Bingham said.
Brents, who is involved in many school activities, agreed.
“Balancing school, orchestra, chorus, theater, and Leadership Ambassadors [was challenging],” he said.
Initially, the return of the Leadership Ambassadors this school year was in doubt, but now it looks like they will be back.
“The plan is for this program to continue,” Bingam said. “We are waiting for everything to be approved by the Administrative Support Center. We got started as soon as we had approval.”
Some students from last year’s ambassadors hope to continue this year.
“I’m going to do it again this year,” Brents said. “I enjoyed it a lot and I love meeting people from other grades.”
Beaver hopes to be a part of it this year, too.
“I do plan on joining the year,” she said. “I do because being in the program was for a short time, but it really helped me with things going on.”
The students in Leadership Ambassadors believe that the group is needed at Sevier.
“I know that, for the most part, there is a lot going on here,” Beaver said. “Being in that group helps you know that, no matter what, you will always have that group.”
Everyone has high hopes for this year’s projects.
“[I hope] that we take on a good project,” Brents said.
Bingham hopes to expand the program.
“I hope that we have a few more students apply to be part of the group, and that we can participate in school leadership opportunities, but also be able to go out in the community and be part of some leadership events,” she said. “I want students to be able to have some opportunities to do things in the community.”
In the end, the students who participate in the program appreciate the opportunity to help their community.
“Being in this group helped me open up to people,” Beaver said. “I realized that I can do more for my school.”
