By Claire Pomer, Harwood Union correspondent
Harwood is home to several successful sports teams, and many students identify as student-athletes. One local high schooler took it a step farther, attending the National Federation of State High School Associations’ National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis this past July. Emma Aither, a junior at Harwood Union High School, will also help coordinate the Vermont Principals’ Association Fall Sports Conference this upcoming November.
Aither, who plays golf and softball, applied for the conference in June. Vermont applicants had to create a resume of their leadership opportunities (along with other extracurricular activities they participate in) and answer a prompt asking what makes a good leader and what they would bring to the conference by attending. Aither, who is a student representative on the Harwood school board and an active member of two school clubs, said in her application, “I felt like I would be a good asset to hear from because I have a lot of experience being flexible in leadership and stepping back [to let] others lead and share the wealth.” Aither was selected as one of five Vermont attendees.
The conference was held from July 13-17 in Indianapolis. It included several icebreaker activities, including a drum circle, and the students worked with Unified Sports, a Special Olympics program that advocates for sports to include disabled students, to learn about their cause and its benefits. “It deepened the level of leadership we went into,” said Aither. “Instead of talking at us, it made us engage in what we were doing. It made me feel like I wanted to lead, and I wanted to do to others what the conference did to me.”
Aither, along with the five other Vermont students who attended the conference, will help lead the Vermont Principals’ Association Fall Sports Conference this upcoming November. They will become the leaders, motivating student attendees to become involved. Along with being student athletes, the students will get the chance to use their newfound skills and become leaders in their communities.
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