Earlier this month, I was given the opportunity to assist Todd Burlingham at a community conference in Detroit. Although I spent 19 years growing up less than an hour away from Detroit, I hadn't really experienced the city of Detroit inside of a classroom. Two different groups of about 30 high school students in Detroit came to our presentation to participate in leadership activities through our organization. My experience facilitating and engaging with some of these students was eye opening in a way that has helped me understand my surroundings better. It was also unique in that it gave me awareness of diversity that will assist me when I become a certified educator.

I am going to attempt to make this blog as non-cheesy as possible, but some cheese may slip out, so bare with me.

This weekend I had the privilege of assisting with and attending the MASC/MAHS State Conference. With over 1300 participants, it was the biggest state conference in Michigan history. I was so fortunate to spend time with the most excited and enthusiastic high school students. Being at the State Conference this weekend reminded me a lot of who I am and what I stand for.

Completing my first semester as a college student, I feel obligated to tell the truth about college that many high school leaders struggle with. The truth about college is that it's a tough adjustment. The reason it's so tough is because in high school and especially during our years of holding upperclassmen status, we felt a sense of belonging. We became involved, we had labels (President, Secretary, Committee Chair, etc.), and we felt like a role model to the underclassmen. Coming into your freshman year of college, you're back to being a freshman, back to feeling new, back to feeling like a small fish in the big old blue. As high school leaders, that's a hard feeling to have because you're so used to feeling like you're contributing to an active part of your student body.