My Key Leader Experience

by April Weiner (Fairfax County, VA)

I attended Key Leader March 27-29 at Arlington Echo in Maryland. The site was beautiful, overlooking a lake and hidden amid nature, a perfect site for a Key Leader weekend. Key Leader was very resourceful for me; I met a lot of new friends and gained valuable information about how to be a better leader. Key Leader was a mix of workshops, lecture-style talks by our wonderful leader Dennis, and leadership-building activities. One of the most useful parts of the workshops for me was learning what type of leader I am. I am more introverted (at least when you first meet me) so it's sometimes hard for me to take control of situations. I learned however, that that is okay; that I can incorporate everyone else's ideas and be a collaborative leader and not have to take control of every situation. One of the most fun activities was our ropes course- we did trust exercises, a "bridge" walk (we walked across a thin rope line three feet above ground) and a climb over a wall. The wall was the most difficult because the group had to help lift you over and then pull you over because there were no ridges for you to use to climb on your own. The weekend helped me gain more confidence in myself, at the beginning of the weekend I was shyer, at the end I came out of my shell a bit more. I believe that a lot of Key Leader participants were the same way, which is why I would recommend Key Leader to others. Anyone who wants to learn how to become a better leader (with the resources to help you), gain more confidence in themselves, and make new friends should definitely attend a Key Leader event!

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, Virginia, for sponsoring this student to attend Key Leader!