Back on Oct. 19, senior Elaina Groneck participated in a leadership conference after being nominated and recognized as Ursuline Academy’s Outstanding Student Leader. The program provides training and recognition to youth in St. Louis County, assisting youth with the development of the skills they need to be effective leaders and citizens. One senior from each of the area high schools of the country is nominated to participate in this program each year. The day was composed of a recognition ceremony, a keynote speech, and opportunities to cultivate leadership skills.
The students were broken up into groups of seven in which they took part in a brainstorming session to address an assigned social issue within the St. Louis community. They researched their topic, the history and causes, and also came up with possible solutions on how to create meaningful change. The group then presented their findings.
“We got to present our presentations to a board of leaders from the community, and get immediate feedback on what we did well and how we could improve moving forward,” said Elaina about her group’s project. “Our issue was caring for the homeless population in St. Louis. The fact that board members worked with us directly on how to continue to develop these skills for life after high school was a really cool aspect of the experience for me.
At Ursuline, Elaina lives up her nomination as an outstanding student leader by bringing her all to her positions and teams that she works with. She is one of the House Captains for the Cortesia House, a part of Leadership for Diversity, National Honors Society, French Honors Society, and Ursuline’s chapter of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts to name a few. She is well-deserving of her nomination and recognition and we are proud of all the ways she shares her gifts and leadership with our Ursuline community.