The latest incarnation of the McMurry Leadership Seminar occurred on Friday, Oct. 20, when 46 AISD students from all 13 elementary campuses and the McMurry Center for Innovation gathered at McMurry for a full day of get-to-know-you icebreaker games, team-building exercises, and leadership training, all led by McMurry students who, themselves, are leaders on their campus.
The Abilene ISD students were selected by their campus counselors, and most aren’t traditionally considered a leader on their campus. Jeff Scott, now in his fifth year of overseeing the leadership training as McMurry’s Director of Servant Leadership and First Year Programs, said many of the students were chosen because they don’t fall into the normal scope of campus leaders.
“These are kids who have potential but sometimes get overlooked or don’t volunteer for leadership roles,” Scott said. “The idea is to put them around similar kids and have them learn what it takes to become a leader and take those skills back to their campuses.”
Scott said the emphasis during the day-long camp is on teaching the students what it takes to become a leader. For example, the students heard that anyone can be a leader, but they have to decide to choose to be a leader. The most important thing, students were told, is to want to help and take care of people, and to have a good time.
It was a lesson that Ryler Obena and Tyson Maples – students at Purcell and Dyess elementary schools, respectively – learned throughout the day.
“I’m excited to have been picked and to have been part of the day,” Maples said. “We learned a lot about being a leader and what it means to be a leader. The best part of being a leader is helping others and treating others the way you want to be treated, which is how I try to lead at Dyess.”
Obena said her day was a good one from the very start.
“We got to eat donuts when we got there, and the activities were a lot of fun,” she said. “We learned those three things it takes to be a leader, and I do that at Purcell by not behaving poorly, not talking in class, and getting all of my work done.”
Scott said the McMurry students leading the activities are those involved in leadership areas on campus. Most are sophomores or juniors who learn from upper-level students and serve as leaders when first-year students arrive on campus throughout the summer.
“These kids (McMurry students) get a chance to spend a lot of time with the AISD kids, and it’s a great reward for them,” Scott said. “We’re about midway through the semester, and it’s a lot of fun to be outside with the kids while we teach them leadership skills.
“The idea is that these Abilene ISD students will be able to model the behavior of McMurry students, who are also becoming leaders,” he said. “We’re trying to impress on the AISD students that they can take those three lessons on leadership and take them back to their campuses and help others become leaders.”
