Jasmeen Kaur
Junior, Muskegon Catholic Central
The conference structure I thought was thorough and well planned out, in a great way, because high schoolers can be tough to handle. The content was amazing. I felt like the content was everything that a teenager needs to hear in this stage of their life right now. It has impacted many of us. I would recommend this conference to anyone; it was truly worth it.
One speaker that impacted me the most was Howard Oesterling, the retired, long-time Director of the Life Leadership Conference, when he read Steve Jobs' Last Essay. Although the essay was short, it had the most impact on me; along with the tone with which he read it. This essay changed me. The prompt alluded to success, love, family, wealth, happiness and the things that matter in life. The prompt gave me realization about myself and how I perceive the world. This essay changed not only me, but made an impact on others as much as it did to me. I knew it when I turned to my left and to my right to see many other students so engaged and tearing up. I overcame much joy that this short essay made such an impact on others. After this poem was read, many of us chatted about it and about Howard's talk. This essay changed me and encouraged me to set my priorities straight.
The only thing I wish that might be improved is the bonding time within the conferees. Serious relationships and friendships were made on this trip. Like volleyball, each night was super fun, but the time limit barely gave us time to have fun. So maybe more free time for the conferees to be stronger and reflect more on what they learned from the conference or what they are learning. Trust me, most of the time the conferees spoke about what the speakers said during their free time. As well imply it. For instance, during volleyball, a major phrase we used was from Molly, Flip your 20.
Adelyn WitmerSophomore, Muskegon High School
As for speakers and how they impacted me, I’ve kept Anne Bonney's message of "action shrivels anxiety" with me, and it has and will help in many situations, because it's so tried and true! Each time I think of it and take action, I am astronomically less stressed.
In times of uncertainty, I can encourage others to take action, or flip their 20, as Molly Kennedy likes to call paradigm shifts. Retaining our optimism is a powerful tool, especially in a service organization such as Rotary!
Like everyone else, I wish the conference had been longer. Then maybe it wouldn't feel so crammed, and of course, we'd have more time with our new friends.
I'm so glad of the opportunity to learn about leadership and meet other student leaders. Thank you Muskegon Rotary and the MHS Class of 1965 Advised Fund for sponsoring me.
Kylee FosterMuskegon High School
I went to the Life Leadership Conference (LLC) and expected it to be like any other conference: mundane. I was pleasantly surprised when each motivational speaker presented themselves in such a lively and welcoming manner. I met many fellow Rotary Interactors and found common ground on a variety of subjects.
The array of activities and icebreakers brought to us by our LLC families offered the opportunity to build many connections. My highlight from the conference was when the youth exchange students talked about their experiences with getting prepared to study abroad. This is something that I’d like to do, so hearing it from a different perspective was quite informational.
I learned quite a bit from everyone, but one thing I had noticed was the sheer amount of high school Rotary Interactors just within Michigan! I learned the importance of community as well as communication. Our group was able to find a wide assortment of networking opportunities that may be quite important for the future of our Muskegon High School Rotary Interact club!
As far as what I plan to do with what I have learned to make a positive difference this year, I’d like to introduce speaker Molly Kennedy's Flip Your 20 (shifting your paradigm on things when needed to overcome obstacles) concept to my club in order for us to positively build upon our viewpoints.
LLC has truly brought upon such a wide range of change and growth opportunities, we don’t know where to begin. The future is bright! Thank you LLC, Muskegon Rotary, and the MHS Class of 1965 Advised Fund for allowing me this opportunity.
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Annelise Derrick
Senior, Calvary Christian High School
I didn’t know anything about Rotary or any of its different branches when I was offered an opportunity to attend the 2022 Life Leadership Conference. I was made aware through my school. A Rotarian came to my school to meet with me and tell me what it would be like. I thought it sounded like an interesting thing that maybe I could learn something from. I had no idea how much it would affect me and inspire me. Not only was I taught leadership and teamwork skills, but I also made some great friends and had the most fun of my whole summer!
Even though I knew it was a leadership conference, I didn't really know what to expect. Maybe some cheesy motivational speakers, ice breakers, and a few superficial tips? No. When it says "Life Leadership", it means exactly that. I learned so many actual leadership skills to use, not just in positions of authority, but in my everyday life.
One of my favorite lessons was given by Molly Kennedy. She taught us that how we see a situation determines what will become of it. "Flip your 20", shift your paradigm, look at it from a different perspective, however you want to say it. When we focus our energy on positive outcomes, they are much more likely to happen. That is a great lesson for leading a team, an office, or a business, but it’s also an amazing way to look at life. Rather than receiving token “leadership” tips, we were presented with real speakers who shared with us and taught us meaningful skills.
One of the things I was most worried about prior to the Life Leadership Conference was how many new people there would be. I was worried that everyone would already know each other or that it would be super awkward, but it wasn’t. We had “family groups” that were small groups of 8 or 9 students and an adult. Our group was super close and we spent all of our free time together. We called ourselves the “Determination Nation” and even had our own silly theme music that we played as we walked around campus.
We were assigned a presentation on a leadership trait, but the form of it was left open ended. We made sure everyone was heard and chose to make a live theater fight. We helped each other, especially those of us who were shy, had a blast, and no one got hurt. I was amazed with how smoothly we worked together and created such a fun environment, while still being productive. We hung out in our free time, ate every meal together, and really got to know each other. We still keep in contact even though one of us is in a different country now.
Our days were packed full of impactful speakers and teaching, but I definitely underestimated the amount of fun I would have. We had free time to hang out with friends and do whatever, but we also had conference-wide games, activities, and simulations. These were extremely fun and creative. Like experienced parents, the leaders also sneaked great lessons into the games, as if they were broccoli. Dangerous Parallel seemed like it wouldn’t be any fun, or that we would fail, but it turned out to be a highlight of the conference. The teamwork and cooperation needed to “save the world” was immense, but we did it.
The opportunities and lessons presented to me through this conference and the Rotary Club have excited me and encouraged me to become a better leader in my life now. I'm looking forward to hopefully establishing an Interact Club in my school and maybe becoming a Rotary member myself in the future. The work being done by Rotary here and around the world is inspiring in a time when many people are selfish and wouldn’t even be able to think of everything that Rotary is doing. The motto of “Building Future Leaders Today” is truly being carried out here with these amazing people and their care for helping to shape young people into the people that will have the future in their hands.
Annelise Derrick
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Aidan Roberson
Junior, Reeths Puffer High School
Ask anyone what their favorite part of LLC was, and most will say “the people”. I'm no different! Every single day, I find myself thinking about the smiles on other people’s faces during those few days at LLC. I got to be a version of myself that wasn't so scared of socializing, who wasn't afraid to be unapologetically himself, all because I didn't feel scared to do so here. I found out that making new friends wasn't so hard, and I love to wonder what the friends I made are up to nowadays. The people I met and got in touch with were most definitely the highlight of the conference for me. Every day, I find myself using what I learned from the conference in my life. Whether it be deciding to “get up” instead of “give up”, or remembering that we’re not always supposed to reach the top, taking the messages learned from LLC and applying them to my life has helped me improve in ways I never thought possible. To this day, I still find myself thinking back to being there, remembering the way the words resonated with me then, and finding they still resonate with me now.
I want to say Thank you, above all else!
Thank you, Muskegon Rotary, and all the LLC staff, for creating a positive culture that I could grow in. Thank you, conferees, for being the kind of people I couldn't wait to be my best self for.
And most of all, thank you to all the friends I made there. Every day I think about you all.
If you're reading this, I hope you can someday attend a Rotary Life Leadership Conference. I hope the experience changes you, as it has changed me.
Thank you for everything, LLC.
Tyler Rop
Junior, North Muskegon High School
Note: Tyler Rop is currently a RotaryYouth Exchange student hosted in Estonia.
I wholeheartedly believe that the LLC has been more than worth participating in for me. I have noticed that on a day-to-day basis the LLC has helped me with public speaking, keeping a positive perspective, and overall confidence. It was structured in a way that throughout the conference it felt like not a second was wasted. The speakers were a perfect match for the conference’s goals, their messages were different, yet each speech complemented the next. With a great schedule and even better speakers, the LLC flowed nicely and conveyed the messages efficiently with the time they had.
During my time at the LLC I heard many inspirational speeches, but the one that was most valuable to me was Mr. Oesterling’s. He spoke of a talented young boy that was dragged down by the people around him. His teacher noticed the student’s grades and mental state continuing to get worse, but didn’t know what to do. Later that same year, the student collapsed while getting off the bus, his heart had stopped because the boy thought that he wasn’t worth anything and saw no reason to live anymore. After the boy passed, the teacher spent the rest of his career saving students from suffering the same fate as the boy. This story was impactful to me because it shows that no matter how small an action may feel, it is always better to take action than to sit by idly.
At the conference, I learned how to have a group work together towards a common goal, and I also learned how to connect with people that I am meeting for the first time. I can use these qualities in many aspects of my life, but I believe that these qualities will allow me to work on bettering the community around me. This conference has taught me how to get a group of determined people together to work towards a beneficial goal such as helping the community better itself both now and for years to come.
The LLC was one of many ways that the Rotary Club has helped me better myself. The only thing I wished was different would be how long the conference was. I loved every second of it, from learning helpful leadership qualities to making life-long connections. The LLC was an unforgettable experience, I am ever thankful that I got invited to this conference and I would recommend it to everyone able to go. Thank you for sponsoring me and allowing me to go to the LLC.
Tyler Rop
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Christian WhippleFruitport High School Junior
Miranda Hutson
I was really nervous about going to the LLC, I didn't know how other students would act, if I would fit in, or if I should even spend a week of my summer with random people. As I met the students and saw how they acted, I started to love it.
We listened to Molly Kennedy, Anne Bonney, and Ben Whiting and I started to realize how doing small things like flipping your 20 (shifting your paradigm) was a small, but amazing way to improve your life and help the people around you.
One of my favorite activities was Family Time. It meant a lot that we got to meet each other and see how we are all leaders. I also loved how different we were, and how we all had different styles of leading.
A new awareness for me was seeing the differences Rotary makes around the world. I knew that Rotary and Interact were working to end polio, but I didn't know how much. Some day polio will be gone and we will thank Rotary for that.
With the Youth Exchange students, they get to see how different cultures are. They get to see how other countries are making a difference in the world. I also love the idea of going to El Salvador or Honduras to build homes or help them with clean water.
Overall this was the best experience I have had at a camp or a conference. I am so happy I got to meet the people I did. They are so kind and respectful. Everyone was accepted and able to share their opinions and I can't wait to use what I learned in this crazy world.
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Esteban Martinez
To be honest, I wasn't really planning on attending the Life Leadership Conference, or even knew much of anything about it. I expected them to only talk about leadership skills. Yet, I at least had some interest, and agreed on attending, not knowing that it would be worth it. I learned a lot more about myself and how much I am still learning, especially when hearing about the speakers and their messages to the audience. Listening about how these speakers have been in situations in life that seem like a dead end, they still managed to push forward and continue on. I started thinking back to the times I went to Mexico and how much I've grown as a person.The first time I went, I was trying to find purpose in my life.
I've always been told by my parents to not end up like them and to not make their sacrifices in life useless. I was always lost on what and why am I doing this? What have I been doing these past 16 years? Would it be better if I wasn't around? After constant dead ends in life, it can feel like there's no way out, so I use every opportunity I have to grow and help myself.
To carry my parents' hopes and dreams of me being successful, I work hard at everything, and yet it took going to my family's home in Mexico to realize this whole time I was heading in the right direction for 16 years. I carry a legacy of culture, heritage, hard work, and sacrifice behind me constantly wherever I go to represent my people, no matter what others think. So, I used this opportunity to attend the conference and learn more along with others.
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