Stafford County Public Schools announces that that T. Benton Gayle Middle School (GMS) qualified for the 2023 National Convention in all areas at the Virginia Regional Leadership Summit. Twenty-three of GMS’s Junior Beta Club members attended the leadership summit, the first in which the school has participated. The school also received an Outstanding Leadership School award.
Rachel Calhoun, Helen Gomez, Abigail Hernandez, and Ryan Wickham took part in Beta Officer Training. Additionally, Jemima Agble, Chloe Hernandez, Finn Longworth, Brianna Reifsteck, and Brycen Tamayo attended the Leadership Summit and training sessions. This year, Anna Maxfield was selected as a Regional Leadership Representative, and has the opportunity to compete for selection as a National Leadership Ambassador.
Beta Training for each student requires: Understanding the basics of National Beta and how it works; The four pillars of Beta; Attributes of an effective leader; Tips and activities for successful members; Planning ahead for Service and Outreach; Motivating club members; and Bringing awareness to National Beta events.
The following students participated in challenges for which GMS is a National Qualifier: Collaboration Connection – Steven Belk, Layan Elbedewy, Sophia Harris, Meredith Hodges, Joey O’Hara, and Lillian Starich; Lead Outside The Box – Stephen Brown, Walter Bruehs, Keira Ceniceros, and Hannah Gionet; and Project Proposal – Aubrey Grayson, Peyton Pennel, and Harmony Quarles.
The Collaboration Connection challenge engaged participants in quick, creative, and critical thinking challenges. The challenge is a combination of performance-based and task-based problem solving that allows students to apply collaborative leadership skills. The Project Proposal tasked participants to identify, design, and create a new service project proposal that addresses at least one real community need. Lead Outside The Box challenged students over a two-day period, providing a real-world problem at the beginning of the summit. On the second day of the summit, teams provided a two-minute presentation on their solution, followed by a question and answer segment.
“The T. Benton Gayle Junior Beta Club members represented their school well and excelled in every challenge,” said Club Sponsor Jeremy B. Utt. “The achievements of the students were even more impressive given that this was the first time Gayle has participated in a Leadership Summit.”
The National Convention will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville during Summer 2023.
