Over 400 student leaders from every public high school in Shelby County recently attended a one-day student leadership event designed to help equip and inspire them by providing the tools needed to become effective leaders in their schools and communities.

The second annual Shelby County Schools High School Leadership Conference was held September 25 at Valleydale Church.  Students from Shelby County Schools, Alabaster City Schools, Pelham City Schools, and Hoover City Schools attended the event, which was jointly sponsored by the Shelby County School District, the Oak Mountain High School Student Government Association, Shelby County, and the University of Montevallo.

Caroline Beauchaine, who graduated from OMHS and currently attends Auburn University, returned for a second year as emcee for the event.  Billy Boughey, a highly creative and energetic producer, emcee, and leadership consultant, was the featured keynote speaker.

Boughey, who has conducted leadership events for numerous corporations including Chick-Fil-A,  shared that one of the most important aspects of a leader is a willingness to serve others.  Students will be encouraged this year to put service leadership into practice by participating in service-related projects to benefit their local schools and communities, said OMHS teacher John Milton, who helped his students plan and organize the event.

 

In addition to Boughey, students also heard from several special guests, including University of Montevallo President Dr. John Stewart, Shelby Schools Superintendent Randy Fuller, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks, and others.  There was also a special video address from Shelby County High School alumni, Governor Robert Bentley. Thirty student leaders from universities across Alabama also helped lead small group breakout sessions.

One piece of leadership advice shared by Dr. Stewart was to always be mindful of how they treat others and how they allow themselves to be treated.

“Be careful with someone else’s heart,” urged Dr. Stewart.

Next year, Milton hopes to expand the conference yet again by including private school students.

“This year we expanded it to include all of the public schools in Shelby County,” said Milton. “Next year we hope to include ALL schools, including our private high schools.”