By Tanna M. Friday, For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — High school offers students the opportunity to cultivate their ambitions, beliefs, opinions, personal independence, and gain a perspective in the world around them. However, some students strive to find a sense of belonging, direction, and purpose in their life.
A leadership course, Leadership Hewitt-Trussville (HT), is new on the course selection at Hewitt-Trussville High School for 18 junior and senior students who are learning to discover their voice while learning critical skills in a series of leadership courses to assist in their journey to navigate college, career, and life successfully.
Leadership HT course is part of the HTHS Business Leadership Academy, which is established to provide high school students, respectively junior and seniors, an opportunity to develop skills needed to succeed in the areas of academics, business, and leadership.
Amber Benson, business education teacher, is guiding students to become leaders and active members of the Trussville Community.
“Leadership HT is a highly visible leadership building class coordinated by the City of Trussville, the Trussville Chamber of Commerce, and Hewitt-Trussville High School, said Benson. “This extraordinary partnership offers students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, gain knowledge of business management, city government, and community service while applying these skills within the Trussville area.
“Each student will participate in a variety of activities planned to give students training in areas such as project management, business plan writing, team building, and proposal presentations. These skills will transfer easily into college and adult life while building future leaderships.”
According to Benson and the HTHS Business Leadership Academy website, “Leadership HT provides vital information to those who wish to serve in leadership and opportunities in career paths such as accounting, data analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, graphic design, innovation, management, marketing, and nonprofit leadership.”
Along with Leadership HT, the Hewitt-Trussville Business Leadership Academy courses include Business Technology Applications, Cooperative/Work-Based Learning Education, Foundations of Business Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Principles, and Multimedia.
Leaders and HTHS educators, Benson, April Howell, and Julie Rollin are helping students rekindle their passion while aiding them in taking ownership of their future and working together to improve the school and the community.
According to their website, “Leadership Hewitt-HT is a one-credit course (two semesters) designed to provide students with skills needed to effectively organize, develop, create, and present a project proposal based on the needs of the Trussville community. Through a partnership between HTHS, The Trussville Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Trussville, this program fosters the development of leadership skills, critical thinking, integration of technology, and application of knowledge and skills related to practical questions and problems. Topics covered include collaborative leadership, business management and entrepreneurship, communication and interpersonal skills, economics, and professional development foundations.”
The Leadership HT selection process, Benson explains, begins with faculty nomination of students who exhibit leadership potential. Students who meet the behavior, attendance, and GPA (3.0) requirements receive an application to apply. Applications are reviewed and the tool scoring applications wittily receive an invitation to interview.
“Leadership HT students are attending lunch-and-learn events and experiencing interaction with community leaders and local businesses that impact all areas of their life,” Benson said. “Some of our visits include the Trussville City Schools Board of Education, Parks and Recreation, Fire Department, Police Department, Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce, Trussville Gas and Water, Public Works and the City Council.”
Making these connections to the community and businesses, students in Leadership HT have the opportunity to work directly with leaders in both small and large companies.
About the HTHS Business Leadership Academy:
HTHS Business Leadership Academy encourages students to experience multiple sector areas since business is a key function of every sector and industry, providing students with more transferable skills to industry areas or higher education major areas of focus.
For more information, visit their Instagram page @LeadershipHT and @hewittfbla or visit their website here.