For the second consecutive year, Montwood High School student leaders met at the school’s 2024 Leadership Camp to learn effective leadership skills that would enhance their student organizations and shape their futures for success.
Organized by the Socorro Independent School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, the event provided students with opportunities to develop their leadership abilities through workshops, presentations, and networking with local industry leaders in areas such as athletics, finance, communications, and law enforcement. This year’s theme was Learn Now, Lead Now.
Student leaders from various CTE organizations such as SYNERGI4 STEM, Business Professionals of America (BPA), and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), were invited to attend.
Assistant Principal Angelica Romo encouraged Rams to take the lessons they learned during the conference and apply them in their leadership roles within their organizations.
“When we started this event last year, we understood that the leadership development of our student leaders was everything to the CTE department,” Romo told students at the conference. “We wanted our students to understand what is expected of them at Montwood and gain valuable experience to use in the future. Leadership is extremely important to an organization, and we hope you take in all that you can today.”
Leaders from Raiz Federal Credit Union, Vista Markets, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Montwood High School football team participated in discussions with students in breakout rooms. Their presentations focused on one of six pillars that define a great leader: character, service, integrity, teamwork, communication, and leadership.
Anabelle Villareal, a senior and HOSA vice president, enjoyed the presentation on communication by Fernando Ramos with Vista Markets. Participants were asked to describe an image to their partners, who then had to draw it.
“Way easier in person, right?” Ramos asked, referring to students who communicated with their partners in person. “Now how would you guys do it through email?”
Villareal emphasized that the leadership camp highlighted the importance of leaders possessing all six pillars.
“For example, with communication, we kind of take for granted social media and online because it’s easier to just explain. But when it’s something more professional, there has to be more specifics and there has to be more details put into it. So, it just reiterates how important it is to not only communicate but also have respect for each other and patience. Patience is the key.”
The camp featured keynote speaker Stephanie Valle, anchor of ABC-7 News. She shared her story about how her time as a student in the audio-visual program during high school set the foundation for her award-winning broadcast career.
April Hall, CTE marketing teacher who organized the event, said she hoped Valle’s story would inspire student leaders to reach for their dreams.
“I hope that this gives them confidence to be able to know that they do deserve success,” Hall said. “So, seeing Stephanie Valle up there and winning awards, I want these students to feel like they can do that as well.”
Hall said that the camp provided students with an opportunity to experience a professional leadership conference without having to travel away from their school or city.
Organizers collaborated with students like Lily Acosta and used their feedback to create topics that reflected their interests. Acosta said the camp was an opportunity for her and her fellow student leaders to learn new skills from accomplished professionals that would have a significant impact on their futures.
“As a leader myself, I would like to learn just what other people have to say about what it takes for them to be a leader within their own respective community. So just hearing different people’s experiences and what they have learned within their community, I think it's just important so you can gain a greater knowledge of how to be a leader.”