Oark Students Grow as Leaders
Oark High School (OHS) strives to create an environment that provides opportunities for students to learn and grow as both individuals and leaders in the community. When Vice President of the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, Abby Tucker, contacted the school about the Junior Leadership Johnson County program, it was clear that this initiative was perfectly aligned with the mission of OHS and would be a great opportunity for OHS students. Tucker explained, ”to become a member of this program, a student must be recommended by their principal or counselor, be a high school sophomore or junior, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, demonstrate a history of community service, have leadership potential, and submit a completed application form.” With these requirements in mind, the school nominated juniors, Hailey Fields and Adilee Marcaletti. They were accepted and embraced the opportunity to learn and grow as community leaders.
Tucker helps lead the program through coordinating leadership experiences and learning for local students. Tucker shared, “Throughout Junior Leadership Johnson County 2023-24, the students met with the Chamber once a month for a full day while we focused on one of the following areas of our community each month: small business/entrepreneurship, technology/sustainability, manufacturing, education, local government, healthcare and non-profits, and recreation/tourism. Each meeting was jam packed full of tours, activities, and information revolving around the community area selected for each month. Some of the things that the students got the chance to participate in are: touring Walmart DC, visiting the Johnson County Historical Society, playing on the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground and learning about how this project came to be, hiking to High Bank Twin Falls, discussing with Mayor Rieder and the city's Economic Developer, Stephen Houserman, about what they would like to see in our community in the future, touring Johnson Regional Medical Center and learning all about the many different jobs available right here in Johnson County, and so much more!”
When asked what her favorite part of participating in the program was, Marcaletti excitedly explained, “My favorite part of the entire program was getting to meet with different members of the community and learn what their part was. We got to talk to everyone. From law enforcement to nonprofits, learning what they had to offer for our community was amazing! This program allowed me to meet with many important members of our community.” Marcaletti continued to share about how the experience challenged her and developed much needed skills. She shared that, “in the beginning, I was afraid to ask any questions or have meaningful conversations. But I learned that to be a leader you must learn how to communicate effectively. I learned that asking questions is how you connect and grow. This is a valuable leadership skill I know I can use throughout life.”
Marcelleti was particularly proud of the community project they got to take part in. She said, “A community project we took part in was creating a business for Johnson County. We all knew we needed more entertainment in the area, so we took action. We worked together with other groups of students and created a business plan. We scoped out buildings in the area and thought of how we could execute our plans. We are hoping to pitch this idea and have some more entertainment here in our county.”
She also reflected on her experience and said, “The program also showed me how connected the Johnson County community is. We were able to network with kids from surrounding schools. It opened my eyes to all of the possibilities in our small town. After completing this program, I knew there was so much I wanted to share with our school. One example is, that just because we live in a rural area does not mean our possibilities are limited. I got to learn about the improvements that have happened and are still yet to come. After each meeting, I made it a point to express how much Johnson County has to offer, you just have to look for it!”
Hailey Fields also participated in Junior Leadership Johnson County and enjoyed participating in the program. She raved about how she grew through meeting and observing accomplished leaders in the community. She explained, “I got to learn and experience all the different programs and jobs in Clarksville. Once a month, I got out of school for the day and went exploring and learning about things in town. I want to take back to Oark all of the opportunities so close to our community that people may not know about. I learned a lot about the behind the scenes of Clarksville that I didn’t know before.”
When asked how they plan to continue to grow and develop this program, Tucker said, “Every year, the Chamber enrolls around 15 students in Junior Leadership Johnson County from Clarksville, Lamar, Oark, and Westside schools. We plan to continue doing that for as long as we can with the help of our wonderful local sponsors. This program would not be allowed to continue without our local sponsors, and as long as we have that support, the program will continue. We also like to reach out to different businesses/organizations every year to switch up the agendas each year for the program to initiate more community involvement and exposure for both the students and the community.”
As a result of the Junior Leadership Johnson County experience, Fields and Marcaletti are more knowledgeable of business opportunities in the county, have grown more confident in their leadership skills, and have become advocates for learning beyond the classroom.