Photo By Staff Sgt. Courtney White | Marines with Recruiting Sub-Station Cartersville and students of River Ridge High...... read more read more
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WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Marines and students of River Ridge High School gathered for a leadership academy at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, Ga., March 1.
River Ridge High School hosts a voluntary leadership academy once a month to promote good decision making, team work, communication and mentorship.
“All of the students come out on their own accord,” Lisa Carroll, the career pathway facilitator at River Ridge. “It is not a requirement and there is no incentive. The students who come out to the leadership training want to be leaders and want to make the right decisions. They are looking for guidance and this event was perfect for them.”
The day was divided into two sections: a physical challenge and a mental challenge.
“The first event was the combat fitness test,” said Major Seth W. MacCutcheon, the commanding officer of Recruiting Station Atlanta. “It stresses all of the components of functional fitness.”
For high school students, it is a good way to assess overall health and fitness, according to MacCutcheon.
“The physical event was exhausting,” said Josilyn Rose Elliott, a senior at the high school. “It was a good way to learn how to lead even during the most difficult circumstances.”
According to Elliott, the hardest part of the CFT was learning to push through even when she wanted to give up.
“The ammo cans were so heavy,” said Elliott. “You are already exhausted after carrying people and then you have to carry two 30-pound cans. I have never done anything like it. I need to work on my speed, breathing and endurance.”
Most of the students who attended the leadership academy are in advanced placement courses and used to a high work load and a need to use critical thinking skills, said Jeff Bennett, a counselor at the school.
“The hardest part for most of the students was the physical training, especially when they had to work as a group,” said Bennett. “It was a great time to express how important motivation and encouragement is. The students learned to be right there with their team and encourage them to move on and not give up.”
The second event was a two-hour leadership workshop which focused on the traits and principles of effective leadership in any group or profession, said MacCutcheon.
“In the classroom we taught the students the 14 traits of any successful leader and then broke the students into small groups,” said MacCutcheon. “We assigned each student a role in the group and then gave them a scenario to work through.”
The tactical decision game provided the students with a mission to secure a region in a fictitious country with a list of assets and people they could use. The students had a list of specific questions they would have to answer including what the messaging to the people would be.
According to MacCutcheon, the point of the game was not so much to stress decision-making, but to talk to the students about how the group was led, how they processed information and led the group into a good decision, and how they dealt with adversity when the scenario was changed midway through the allocated time.
“The overall day went great,” said Bennett. “I think an added bonus was the students had the ability to talk with the Marines in between sections. The Marines are the people in the field. They are people who have experience in leadership and I think the students can learn a lot after just having a conversation with them.”
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2014 20:16 |
| Story ID: | 124147 |
| Location: | WOODSTOCK, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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