Exclusive to seniors, SMSD Women in Leadership hosted its fourth annual Senior Breakfast on March 5. Seniors in the program receive a mentor who works or has experience in the seniors’ desired field. This year had 150 mentors.
The Women in Leadership program originated at SM West and eventually grew into the other high schools in the district, inviting students into the program.
“After the third year [of the program], we met with instructional coaches and principals at other schools and we talked through the program and what it could look like at each school [in the district].” Founder and Indian Hills principal Dr. Kelly Capper said. “Within the next year, all of the schools had the program.”
Capper said that the hosted breakfast allows students to ask questions and get to know different paths within their career paths. Introduced in January, seniors can email and communicate with their mentors when they have questions.
“Students beyond graduation connect and keep in touch with their mentors.” Women in Leadership and Real World Learning counselor Britt Sherer said. “The connections that [the students] build and the guidance that students are able to continue beyond high school is truly what this is all about.”
SM East senior Bella Boscoa said that her meeting with her mentor was really helpful to hear and learn from the experiences that the mentor had.
“She was amazing and incredible to talk to,” Boscoa said. “The big thing that she said is to find confidence in yourself and be authentically yourself and really find your own way.”
This was the first year the program also reached out to middle schools, recruiting 50 8th graders.
