Senior Leadership Retreat

The Senior Leadership Retreat is an opportunity for the senior class to leave campus for a few days to learn about various leadership qualities and enjoy a bit of fellowship. Over the course of three days and two nights in October, the seniors and a few faculty members enjoyed family meals together, bonded over beach and pool activities, and met as a group to discuss a variety of topics. We had a different focus each time we gathered. We started with identifying various leadership opportunities around school. The seniors came to understand that while some leadership positions are obvious, such as serving as a team-captain or helping with Student Advisory Board, other examples are subtler, such as being a group leader or introducing their friends to others. This helped to set the stage for the week.

The tenets of the Senior Leadership Retreat are passion, purpose, expectations, and trust. Through videos, conversations, and reflection, we as a group visited all of these areas each time we met. Whether we discussed how each person has impacted or been impacted by their time at TNCS, or shared obstacles we have overcome, we kept in mind the notions that in order to lead, we must be willing to have passion, develop purpose, modify expectations, and instill trust. The culminating activity for the group was defining what their class legacy should be. Throughout the rest of the year, we will revisit this concept to see if it changes or stays the same. The seniors have set lofty goals and expectations for themselves throughout their remaining months here.

Perhaps the most impactful activity of the trip was how we finished each session together. One of the great qualities of leadership is to be able to identify the strengths of others. That’s just what we did. The seniors and faculty members wrote about and to each other after each session. We wrote the aspects which we value in each other, and the strengths that we see each other possessing. After the trip each member of the senior class got to see their comments, and see the many ways in which they impact each other.

While the focus of the Senior Leadership Retreat is on leadership qualities and skills, the heart comes from the participants. Each person who attended the trip was able to see others in a different light. We shared laughter, tears, and insight into the world. We bonded as a group, and reflected on the many ways in which TNCS has impacted our lives.

by Alexander Keevil, Dean of Student Life and Personal Growth