After working with mentor Vessela Hristova ’04, Chase will return to her hometown ready to develop a student-written curriculum to teach teenagers about their rights and responsibilities under the law. Other projects planned by the participants include developing an ad campaign to boost organ donation in Georgia, raising money for a playground in Bosnia, campaigning for a living wage in New Orleans, and teaching English to Florida’s immigrant population.

Mentor Jill Benitez ’04 noted that the goal-oriented and socially conscious high school students she interacted with during the program reminded her of another group of amazing women—Mount Holyoke students. "I’ve never met such a large group of younger women who are so dedicated and mature," she said of the participants, most of whom were fifteen to seventeen years old. The student she mentored, Taryn Gervais, came from Windsor, Connecticut, where she now plans to introduce alternatives to dissection in biology classes. "I had such a great time," said Gervais. "It was really encouraging and so supportive."

Take the Lead students were chosen from nearly 400 applications from across the country. Of the forty teens selected, thirty-two were able to make the weekend, some regretfully canceling because of travel concerns after the September 11 attacks, said VandenBerg. But after making contact with each family to discuss the situation, VandenBerg said she was inspired by the courage and determination shown by the participants’ families. "I was struck by the commitment on the part of parents to getting their daughters to the program. A number of them mentioned that they felt a program like this was more important than ever given the events of September 11," she said, adding that some families, rather than canceling, made plans to travel with their daughters, at their own expense.

Once the participants arrived, they were kept busy with a full schedule of workshops, speeches, and activities, designed not only to develop their leadership skills, but also to give them a taste of college life and allow them to enjoy the company of similarly dedicated peers. Among the weekend’s highlights were presentations by Lydia Okutoro ’98, a native of Nigeria whose first book, Quiet Storm: Voices of Young Black Poets, was published the year after she graduated, and Alexandra Gromko ’91, an Emmy Award-winning news anchor for with ABC affiliate WTVQ-TV in Lexington, Kentucky.

Other activities ranged from a workshop on identity given by Beverly Daniel Tatum, dean of the College; to sessions on time management, conflict resolution, community organizing, and getting publicity; to a class on West African dance. Students also enjoyed socializing at the Thirsty Mind coffeehouse, visiting with MHC students, staying in dorms, and sampling dining hall fare—all while enjoying fall foliage at its peak. The weekend ended with a commencement speech from Penny Gill, Mary Lyon Professor of the Humanities. She spoke to the young women about the importance of claiming their own education, asking them, "What is the one thing you must know before you die? What is this question that defines you?" By answering that question, students can truly claim an education that is intimately connected to their lives, Gill told the audience.

Although the weekend is over, the mentors’ commitments will continue for up to six months while the high schoolers complete their projects, three of which will be awarded a $500 cash prize from Mount Holyoke. "I’ve adopted her project as my own," said Alima Bucciantini ’04, who worked with Kimberly Harris on her plan to create a Web site—complete with firsthand accounts, survivor biographies, original materials, and resources for more information—to educate middle school students about the Holocaust. "It’s my baby now too," Bucciantini said firmly.

That kind of ongoing support is what makes the Take the Lead program so important, said mentoring expert and MHC psychology professor Becky Wai-Ling Packard, who helped train the College mentors. "Having a positive mentoring experience leads someone to be more likely to seek mentoring again," Packard explained. "The MHC mentors helped the high school students to identify mentors in their home environment and out in the world. Now the teens can have sustained support over time." Calling the program a great success, Packard said, "The high school students already possessed conviction, persistence, and amazing ideas. Take the Lead was a way for them to come together. Now, with peer support, workshops, and the support of their mentors, the teens can continue to channel their energies in effective ways."

The participants agreed, judging from comments made during Sunday’s final session. "The feedback and support really helped," said a participant, one of several wearing Mount Holyoke College T-shirts and sweats. Another young woman raised her hand and added: "I want to thank everyone for all the support you’ve given me." A third young woman, explaining that she still had an entire weekend’s worth of homework to finish before Monday classes, said, "I wasn’t sure if it was really going to be worth it, but at the end, it was so worth it. I’m impressed."

And ending the feedback session was a young woman from the back row, whose comment earned her a thundering round of applause. "I just feel so encouraged by everybody," she said. "I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel like I can do it, like I can take the lead." That is, of course, just what VandenBerg and her team hoped to hear, as they begin planning next year’s event, which promises to build upon this year’s success and is expected to bring in more than 800 nominations from high school counselors, teachers, and community leaders. "It is such a treat to be involved with the program," said VandenBerg after the last visitors had left for home. "Our MHC mentors do an outstanding job, the alumnae who come back are exemplary agents of change, our own faculty and staff present substantive, thoughtful material in engaging ways, and the high school students inspire us all. It’s a wonderful synergy—a tribute to Mount Holyoke."

For more information on Take the Lead, visit www.mtholyoke.edu/go/takethelead. The College will begin taking nominations for next fall’s Take the Lead in March of 2002.