At Warren High, students encouraged to be leaders

DOWNEY -- Warren High School’s club leaders were all invited to attend a leadership workshop on Jan. 9 hosted by the organization SkillsUSA.

Promoting leadership in the members of all clubs and organizations on campus, this workshop was open to anyone looking for a chance to develop their capabilities and learn new methods of leading groups.

The leadership board of SkillsUSA organized and ran the workshop in order to better establish their own leadership skills while also using the opportunity to leave a positive impact on the students, school, and community. This is the fourth leadership development day the SkillsUSA board has hosted, the three prior having been to a smaller scale but just as effective.     

The SkillsUSA leadership board has grown so much from where they began, from not knowing too much about leadership themselves to teaching their peers what they know so everyone at Warren High has a chance to be a leader, the board has truly worked hard to better prepare individuals for life after high school. 

 “The event was not just a training we went through ourselves, but also an opportunity where we could share our knowledge with others because in the end we all want to progress together,” commented Omar Gatica, president of SkillsUSA at Warren.

Among the topics covered at the workshop were team connections, etiquette in conversations, and public speaking. Discussing, socializing, and building teams opens students up to learn to work with others and gain the confidence in knowing how to approach different scenarios.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I was really surprised to find that the methods actually work in groups and I can see how any student could become more effective as a leader,” said SkillsUSA advisor Shirley Stewart.

Volunteers from many other clubs besides SkillsUSA came together to help set up and organize this workshop in the hopes that it would better the students to make them successful leaders of tomorrow. The culinary arts club even provided a hearty lunch for the attendees of the workshop, cooked by students of course, which was a big hit with everyone. 

“This was not a typical workshop run by adults or anything. It was run by my peers, so it was very relatable,“ stated Alejandra Lopez, president of the Ladies Leadership club. ”They presented in a very professional way which encouraged other students to step forward to take on new roles of leadership they might not have taken before,” she added.

The leadership workshop was only a small step in giving back to the community by inspiring young people to get involved at school, in the city, and anywhere else they can. The students studying in school today will become the next leaders, because they are the future of the community, and preparing them for the next chapter of their lives is important.

SkillsUSA strives to get young people college and career ready, globally competitive, and above all, to transform them into citizens of exemplary character. Downey is full of outstanding students who have the potential to become distinguished members of society, at the forefront of their chosen career paths, and cultivating leadership skills is the first step to their inevitable success.