Take the Lead! participants discuss their action projects and take advantage of a beautiful fall day.

October 12 marked the debut of Mount Holyoke's Take the Lead! summit, a four-day teen leadership program that drew high praise from its participants and that will now become an annual event. That Thursday, thirty-two high school juniors journeyed to campus from across the country to begin the much-anticipated event, which offered a full schedule of workshops, activities, and speeches on developing leadership skills and planning “action projects.”

Each participant was warmly welcomed by her leadership mentor, an MHC student who had been recognized as a leader by the College in spring of last year and trained by the Weissman Center for Leadership this fall.

The conference provided a context in which the teen participants could develop the skills necessary to solidify an action plan for a project directly related to their interests. Among the projects were desegregation of the New Orleans school system; combating homophobia in a Connecticut high school; and organizing a school effort to clean up a polluted river behind a local elementary school. “It was one amazing weekend full of hope that our world will become a better place as a result of these mentees' action projects,” commented Joanna Dittmer '01.

Participants drew inspiration from lectures given by three Mount Holyoke alumnae who had all been agents of change at a young age—Emmy-award-winning news anchor Alexandra Gromko '91; author and teacher Lydia Okuturo '98; and AIDS researcher and champion in-line skater Karin Travers '86. The three women also participated in workshops and discussions. “They were all exceptionally gifted, and meeting them gave me strong, driven women to look up to,” said participant Kathryn Wilson.

The weekend's warm feeling of camaraderie was fostered by participants, mentors, distinguished guests, and MHC faculty and administrators. Among those who led workshops were Rochelle Calhoun, associate dean of the College; Beverly Daniel Tatum, dean of the College; Tamara Burk, director of speaking programs and lecturer in women's studies; Laurie Priest, director of athletics and chair of physical education and athletics; Dina Friedman, workshop coordinator for the Speaking, Arguing and Writing Program; Becky Wai-Ling Packard, educational psychologist and professor; and Patricia VandenBerg, executive director of communications and strategic initiatives, who was the leading force behind the Take the Lead! program. Workshop topics included identity, talking across difference, time management, conflict resolution, community organizing, getting publicity, intergroup dialogue, and pointers on speaking.

In addition to helping teens gain leadership skills, the program helped provide the tools for forming networks of support among future leaders. Throughout the weekend, continuity and inspiration were provided by the program director, Patricia VandenBerg. VandenBerg, who was immensely gratified by the success of the event, said, “We were able to put together a combination of people and programming that allowed the richness and strength of our community to be manifested in powerful ways. The participants, who came from as far away as Hawaii, were profoundly affected by this Mount Holyoke experience. And they, in turn, were an inspiration to us.”

Possibly the most exemplary component of the weekend was the “graduation ceremony,” in which six of the teens were chosen to deliver a three-minute speech about their action plan. The raucous applause and standing ovations following the speeches reflected the sense of pride participants felt in the accomplishments of the weekend. “I've never been in a room with so many powerful women,” said high school student Blair Beuche. “The energy level was electrifying. I was honored to be a part of it.” The ceremony included a motivational speech given by MHC professor of politics Penny Gill, who challenged the participants and mentors to find their burning question and take advantage of their educational opportunities as lifelong learners. The ceremony concluded with an extended time for sharing comments and thoughts on the events of the weekend.

Given the extraordinary success of this first Take the Lead! summit, MHC hopes to make it an annual event, and to expand the opportunity to even more high school women. Plans are already in the works for next year's program. This year's participants, it was suggested, may become future leadership mentors and may be included in a motivational plenary panel as agents of change. “I don't think I had half their talent and perseverance in high school,” Katherine Axt '01 said of the conference teens. “And just think—if they are doing this now, what will they be like in five years?”

The weekend's success was summed up in the words of MHC mentor Emily Monteer '01, who said, “Take the Lead! captures the spirit of MHC as a place where women can go to learn the skills necessary to then go out and change the world.”

Photographs by Ben Barnhart.