By Lydia Martin

“Being a leader means standing up for what is right and not being afraid to speak your mind,” said sophomore AJ Losch, one of the 115 freshman and sophomores who attended the Kennedy Fall Leadership Retreat on Oct. 27 at Squaw Creek park.

The retreat was to teach students what it means to be a leader and how they can be leaders at Kennedy. Freshman and sophomores were taught leadership skills from 32 juniors and seniors, and 15 staff members.

The leadership retreat is an annual event for Kennedy students. This year’s retreat was organized by teachers Jenny Wagner and Katie Bova.

“The teachers submitted good leaders and people who could benefit from being around positive leaders,” Bova said. “Hopefully those students on the retreat will pass on their leadership skills to others and set good examples.”

Students spent the entire day together taking part in group activities, discussions, and team-building events. Each activity emphasized a certain leadership skill for the students to learn.

“My favorite activity was the hula hoop activity. It showed good communication skills and teamwork,” freshman Hunter Schoenauer said.

There was an activity for humility, trust, communication, teamwork, school spirit and ‘stepping out of your box’ or comfort zone.

“I liked learning new leadership skills,” Schoenauer said, “I do what I am supposed to do in the classroom and really step up, that’s what makes me a leader.”

Freshman Abby Hill said that it “was really fun meeting new people” and that she appreciated learning about leadership. “To me, being a leader means being a positive influence and reaching out to others, I will continue to be well behaved and have a positive attitude through out my years at Kennedy.”

 Photo by Jessica Rowan