Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute

By Paige Finney (YLI ‘22), current Peer Mentor

When I think of our first experience day, surrounding equity and inclusion, I think of barriers as well as the removal of them. It is a day where students, peer mentors, and adult mentors all start to feel comfortable with the vulnerability around them and sharing one another’s differences. The class of 2023 took this in stride, and I learned so much about their individual differences and their personalities through the activities we participated in. Whether people shared, listened, observed or just reflected I am positive every student took an important lesson out of the day.

By Cydnee Greene, YLI Participant, senior at North High School

As the week approached, I found myself getting more and more excited for the first YLI session. We would be talking about Equity and Inclusion. Being a person from the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community, I was ready to learn more about myself and more about the peers in my class. At Drake, my opinions and ideas were challenged as we talked about social identity. We broke down categories such as Ethnicity, Gender, Socioeconomic status, and so on. I was able to understand why these things are always considered, but why they shouldn’t be the only things we as a society should take into account when meeting and surrounding ourselves with new people. I found myself asking questions like, “What’s the difference between gender and sex?” I asked myself a million questions, reflecting on past judgments and wondering why I had gone about it the way I did.

I had the opportunity to listen to others’ stories and learn about different types of cultures and social norms. I learned about intersexuality and how it is only the table of contents in our lives. We choose how we accept it and make the best versions of ourselves. No one person is the same. Traditionally, we tend to keep our more challenging and uncomfortable conversations to ourselves, but throughout the day the urge to share became more apparent. We were hearing others talk openly about their lives and how they overcame such difficult obstacles. The more that was shared, the more my peers became willing to share their own stories.

Being in such an encouraging space allowed us to voice our opinions and feelings. Having those opportunities to speak on things we may have not been able to do somewhere else was very refreshing and appreciated. So, thank you to all the speakers who were so open to speaking up and educating us through your own life stories.

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) had a huge impact on me. I was already an outgoing individual, however through the YLI program helped refine my existing abilities. I was able to make so many new friends and experience so many things that I would not have been able to in my small hometown. Gaining perspective and a new view on the world.

I’m a currently a freshman as Iowa State University, majoring in Political Science. I owe a huge thanks to YLI in helping me solidify my decision on my current major. I remember our experience day talking about leadership in government and a light bulb went off in my mind that I made the right decision about what I had chosen as my major. I had my doubts and worries but now being in college I think back on that moment a lot.

I am a recent graduate of Simpson College (class of '22). I am working as a marketing coordinator at Kemin Industries. I am always on the lookout for new groups, activities, speaking opportunities, and volunteer work. I recently signed on as an adult mentor for the YLI Class of 2023!

In college I was active in a wide range of activities. I took on a lot of leadership roles and joined groups that gave me new opportunities to grow. I also am becoming active as a public speaker in my professional life after participating in Speech and Debate in college and FFA. YLI was a great foundation to build from and I got a lot of confidence going out of my comfort zone from my time in the program.

YLI showed me the importance of taking chances. The program also highlighted the great relationships that can come from networking. I have continued to build and use the wide range of skills that I learned in the program. YLI was my first experience in taking the chance to do something of this magnitude that I was not familiar with. Having the confidence to step outside of my comfort zone propelled me to take on roles, join organizations, and become a leader in all that I do. The experience was so rewarding, and it influenced my eagerness to seek out other opportunities for growth and learning.

By Payton Strobel (YLI ‘22), current Peer Mentor

The opening retreat is one of my favorite days of the whole year. It’s so exciting to break out of our normal mindsets and be introduced to the newest class of YLI students. 

As a peer mentor, I love to use the skills I learned during my year in YLI to facilitate and lead activities. I thought back to the peer mentors last year and how much fun they were, and I wanted to create the same inviting and fun space for growth. The leaders in this program care about teaching skills that can be used for our whole lives, no matter what leadership position we’re in. 

Our Opening Retreat was at Stowe Heights Challenge Course, which is an amazing opportunity to try things we’ve never done. It can be really hard to step out of your comfort zone, especially when you’re surrounded by strangers. But when we take the risk and experience something new, we can build stronger friendships and grow our comfort zones. 

By Cade Littlefield, YLI Participant, senior at Waukee High School

Walking into the second opening retreat day at YLI, I was nervous yet excited for the day ahead. On the first day, I met some new friends and learned about the foundations of YLI including the five leadership practices: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. I also began to step out of my comfort zone and get more adventurous engaging in conversations with peers, peer mentors, and adult volunteers. Behind the excitement for the Opening Retreat, was my fear of heights, creeping through with the much anticipated high ropes course. But I chose to push that behind me and I came into the second day energized and ready to take on new challenges. 

Saturday morning in our small groups, we learned about the importance of communication and how to handle when a wrench or a rubber chicken is thrown into the situation. The activities focused on the chaotic nature of communication and other team-building activities. One of my big takeaways from these activities was how almost every scenario was tied back to one of the five leadership practices and how the five leadership practices are present in almost every scenario. That was an important lesson, because I suspect there will probably be many more moments of realization like this throughout the rest of my YLI journey. 

The next thing that I had to conquer during the second day of the retreat was the high ropes course, which I was very nervous about. Although I am a bit of a thrill seeker, I do not love the heights that the high ropes course had in store. As I got the equipment on, my heart began beating faster and faster, and I wondered if I would be able to overcome my previous fears of heights. Once I climbed to the top, I heard and received support from my peers, and I was able to really push myself outside of my comfort zone and surprise myself with how far I could go. 

By Paige Finney, YLI Class of 2022 graduate

At our graduation for the class of 2022, we got to rejoice as a group one last time. After a year of retreats, experience days, and reflection sessions, our group grew in leadership, relationships, mentorships, and people. As I looked around at the peers, mentors, adults, and facilitators surrounding me the memories and lessons rushed in. I looked at Lexi, sitting next to me, and the amount of growth she endured in the program and the relationship we had gained. I watched Sebastian give his speech and reflect on both the ending and the beginning of the leadership journey that YLI provided him. I looked at the peer mentors in the back, and all of the knowledge they got from YLI and shared with me. And I looked at Kelly, who led us through all of those different experiences and planned the wonderful experience we had the opportunity of sharing. 

By Jody Gifford, Community Connect Program Graduate, Class of 2022

(Jody with her small group, left to right, mentor Nadilia Gomez, Jody, Alexa Strickler, Lacey Little and Megan Grandgeorge)

Graduate: a person who has successfully completed a course of study or training.

A couple weeks ago, I was talking to a friend about Community Connect. She was asking how things were going, if I had landed on a goal (there had been several previously discussed) and if there was anyone I was still hoping to connect with before the end of class. This was just a couple days after the session wrapped and I was happy to share that I was now a graduate of the program.

“Do you actually graduate from something like that?” she asked. I didn’t know, honestly. I’d always thought that was the correct terminology when you completed a program like Community Connect. No, I hadn’t put in four years of study or walked across a stage in a cap and gown, but I had completed the requirements of the program and I was ready to head out into the world armed with the tools to live my purpose.

The funny thing is, I thought about this a lot over the next couple days. Could I really call myself a Community Connect “graduate” or was I merely a “participant?” I needed to know so, of course, I went to Google.

“What does it mean to graduate?”

“What’s the definition of a graduate?”

“How do you graduate?”

Answers varied but the one thing they all had in common was the idea that graduation meant completing a course of study or meeting all the requirements of a particular area of study.

Had my fellow Community Connect participants done that? Yes! Creating a purpose statement and a goal were the two main hallmarks of the program and we’d all done the work. In fact, on the last night of the session, we were tasked with sharing those with our fellow participants and mentors.

It was as ceremonious as any graduation as I’ve been to. We lined up with our small groups at the front of the room, printed pages in hand, ready to share what we’d created. It was the first time many of us had ever spoken our purpose statements and goals out loud and we were all, it seemed, a bit nervous about taking that next big step in our journey.

I’d had the chance to meet just about everyone in the class and had gotten to know a handful of them well over the course of the program. We’d all collaborated with one another, to some degree, and I personally found that every time I’d connected with someone new, my purpose statement and goal became more focused and polished because of their help and feedback.

Listening as everyone shared theirs, I realized that we’d all benefited from these connections in class. I could hear it in their words and see it in their faces: they’d all gained the confidence to leave the classroom, ready to take on the world with what they’d learned.

Isn’t that what graduation is all about—taking what you’ve learned and making the world a better place? I think so, and I’m confident that the 32 of us are going to do great things now that we’ve completed, er, graduated from Community Connect.

It is impossible to lead if you don’t have followers. I have always loved leading groups and taking control, but YLI taught me that being a loud boisterous person is not always the best way to lead. If everyone is annoyed with you it will be harder to lead. YLI taught me to take time to create relationships and mutual respect. To invest time in the people I want to lead so they trust me and want to follow me.

I attribute a lot of my leadership successes back to YLI. I learned more about myself and my own leadership style than I ever thought possible. I am currently a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and am a part of the women’s soccer team. Playing collegiate soccer has been a goal of mine since middle school and leading the team has become a more recent goal. I try to lead my team, even as a freshman, by using the skills I learned in YLI, especially the five practices of exemplary leadership. Being able to work my hardest and encourage those around me to do the same incorporates all five of the practices. I know that if I keep working to incorporate those into my life and my sport, I will reach my goal of leading the team, even as a young member.

My advice to the current YLI class – Keep growing your hunger to help others, keep your ears and eyes open to opportunities to expand your skills and what is in your leadership tool kit, and remember anyone can be a leader if just given a chance.

By Maya McDaniels, senior at Bondurant Farrar High School and new YLI alumnus

(Maya, with her peers from left to right, Felix Gbagbo, Leah Olinger, Maya, Isabel Naderman, Payton Strobel, Lexi Davis and left-front, peer mentor Sebastian Martinez)

I never expected our YLI journey to fly by like it did. But next thing I knew, here we were- at our last experience day. This day was focused on exploring nature, but for most of us it meant a lot more than that. It was exploring our own leadership, relationships, and putting a capstone on everything we have learned.

Although it was a torrential downpour outside, inside of Jester Park’s Outdoor Recreation & Wellness Center, there could not have been more warmth. As we all stepped outside of our comfort zone in activities like archery and bouldering, we laughed, shouted words of encouragement, and made memories together.  Doing things outside of your comfort zone or things you’ve never tried before is scary at first, but it makes you learn more about yourself. Having supportive peers surrounding you while doing it? Well, that made it all the better.

For me, this was about jumping into things headfirst, even if I wasn’t sure about it. Once the rain lightened up, we were outside for a walk where I found myself running and skipping down the road and rushing through puddles with people I would never have found if it wasn’t for YLI. Again, my feet were soaked and cold but I felt the warmth of the relationships built.

By Eve Mittra, sophomore at Lincoln High School & current YLI student

Earlier this month our entire YLI group presented our speeches, which all discussed different topics regarding to our own individual leadership journeys. This day had been long awaited as a group, and we were excited to share our ideas with everyone! When I arrived, the nerves were definitely there. I was terrified, but extremely excited at the same time. My speech was about how to own the spotlight, and how YLI helped me gain the confidence to get on a stage and share my ideas. Although it was scary, I am very grateful that Kelly Royal set this all up and allowed for everyone to step out or into our comfort zones and share with everyone our lessons from YLI.

The preparation for our speeches started way back in November when Erik Dominguez first came in and talked to us about public speaking and the logistics of speaking to a crowd. He then shocked us with the idea that we would be writing up a 3–5-minute speech. I don’t know about anyone else, but I was extremely nervous to have to do this. I have never been one to voluntarily do public speaking since I never had the confidence. While thinking about this, I realized that this program has helped me gain confidence and I ended up writing my speech on this. I grew because of this program, because of Kelly, because of all my peers and friends, and because of the mentors.

By Jody Gifford, Community Connect 2022 participant

I did something absolutely terrifying a few weeks ago. I spoke in front of 750 people.

How I got into this predicament is the fault of a well-meaning manager. At a meeting a month prior, she’d mentioned that our company, NCMIC, was sponsoring the Business Record’s Forty Under 40 event and would I be interested in a spot at our table. “Absolutely!” I said, thinking what a great way to network while indulging in free food and drink.

Just days later, our event coordinator asked for my bio and contact information for the program. Odd, I thought, that they’d need that if I was just hanging at the table. Turns out, I’d committed to so much more than dinner and drinks.

After a bit of back and forth, I’d discovered that I was going to be one of five presenters who were tasked with introducing a handful of Forty Under 40 honorees. I would need to prepare a short speech about our company, too, and deliver it on stage to hundreds of attendees.

In that moment, I’m pretty sure my heart stopped. See, I’m not a public speaker. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk to anyone. One person, three people, a dozen? Yeah, I’m your girl, but the very idea of standing up in front of hundreds of people (and did I mention it was live-streamed?), saying words in complete sentences, made my palms sweaty.

Still, I didn’t say no. As afraid as I was to do it, I wasn’t about to bail. I thought of all the people who believed that I could do it. There were apparently quite a few who’d suggested me for the job including my boss and the aforementioned well-meaning manager. They all believed in me in a way I wasn’t sure I did.

But I did it. I got up that morning, nervous as could be. I fretted over what I should wear. I showed up hours in advance, so I’d know where to sit, stand and speak. I’d written and rewritten my speech a dozen times, not quite nailing what I wanted to say to this room full of inspiring people. I thought about telling the story about how I got there but scrapped it 30 minutes before taking the stage.

Instead, I spoke from the heart. I talked about the pride I had in NCMIC and how we give back to the community. I mentioned passion and how it fuels us all to give back to causes we deem worthy. I also acknowledged how uncomfortable it might be for some of the honorees to be in the spotlight that night—how it’s often the doers and thinkers who are humble and uneasy with recognition. I saw heads nodding and I didn’t feel alone at that moment.

This was a lesson in courage, a topic we’d cover in Community Connect a week after the event. I’d come full circle at that point. I’d had the courage to do the very thing I was afraid of (and lived to write about it).

I’d thought a lot about the honorees and realized that my feat was nothing compared to all the good that was happening at the hands of these 40 leaders.

I’d also thought about my fellow Community Connect participants and all the good they would do (and were doing) in the world. It brought to mind this quote from Brene Brown:

“Courage is contagious. A critical mass of brave leaders is the foundation of an intentionally courageous culture. Every time we are brave with our lives, we make the people around us a little braver and our organizations bolder and stronger.”

By Neah McGovern (YLI ‘21), Peer Mentor and senior at Bondurant Farrar High School

I remember the Arts and Culture session being one of my favorite experience days as a student. I loved learning about all of the different types of art that could be found in Downtown Des Moines and couldn’t believe that I had never known that there was so much to explore so close to my home. It was a truly eye-opening experience and I felt so excited knowing that there were so many different opportunities to experience art and culture in Des Moines.

However, this year’s class of students opened my eyes in a different way and gave me the opportunity to view art and culture in our community in a new light. Instead of focusing mainly on the arts aspect of our day, they embraced the idea of cultural diversity in our community and engaged in thought-provoking discussions about the impact of art in our daily lives. They also asked so many questions about the different cultures in the Greater Des Moines Area and gave me the opportunity to learn so much about just how much diversity there is in a city that I thought I was very familiar with.

The students also branched out and explored ways to make art more accessible and inclusive to the communities that they were a part of. A few students pointed out that much of the art was limited to the downtown metro area and noted that this felt like an exclusion of the neighborhoods farther out that couldn’t necessarily afford to create their own art installations. This was something that had never even crossed my mind and it got me thinking about what it means to be both a diverse and inclusive community.

However, the students didn’t stop at identifying the problem. They took it a step further and began to discuss potential ways for them to actively contribute to their communities in a creative and inclusive way. Each student at the table contributed ideas and shared their own thoughts on the steps they could take and it was incredible to watch as these students validated each other’s ideas and offered positive feedback, creating this really special connection between students.

I am currently attending Iowa State University, majoring in Sociology and double minoring in Criminal Justice and Political Science.

After graduating from YLI, I was more outgoing and actively searched for opportunities to grow while impacting those around me positively. I remained with Please Pass the Love during my senior year of high school. It gave me a chance to grow in my leadership skills and community involvement as well as gave me a bigger support system. The ladies and gentlemen that work at Please Pass the Love have become a second family to me, and I know they will support me throughout my personal and professional careers. I believe YLI inspired me to take on a more present role in my community and encouraged me to get even more involved than I already was!

YLI taught me how to be conscious of the world around me. It is very easy to get wrapped up in all of the woes that life brings on. YLI taught me not only how to take care of myself but also the community around me.

By Jarael Madyun, Community Connect Participant

(Jarael, far right, with mentor Matt McGarvey and participant Garrett Shepherd)

Today for the Community Connect session we focused on relationships. Each session brings a new level of excitement for me because I am able to reflect on how I can best support others as they develop their Community Connect goals.

One of my favorite activities today was coming up with a list of big dreams we would like to accomplish if we had an infinite amount of resources. As we roamed around the room, we signed our names under items we’ve done, that others hoped to accomplish. I, again, felt a sense of community, connection, and shared values. The activity was inspiring because it was a simple reminder of how a diverse group of people can come together with similar goals, but we’ve all traveled different paths to be at this session together. The amount of information and resources I was given in a short amount of time speaks to everyone’s commitment to building relationships and the program.

I have many moments I am grateful for but two moments stick out to me from today’s session. Apparently, I have the superpower of being in a room of 50+ people and identifying who has met Taylor Swift. I am also grateful for the mentor stories and how unique, personal, and authentic they were. Each mentor discussed “relationships” but I received a different message from everyone. Some of those gems include:

1.       First Show Up/ Keep Showing Up 2.       Amplify voices & create co-pilots 3.       Make connections & ask good questions 4.       Whatever journey you’re on, you will be best supported by others in the community based on the connections and relationships you continue to cultivate.

By Brooke Seeliger, sophomore at Southeast Polk and current YLI student

(Brooke, with speaker Matt Schneiderman, Pathway Navigator at DMACC)

Our March experience day was all about exploring business and STEM! This idea of business or careers is always on the minds of high schoolers like myself. Being able to have our experience day at DMACC opened my eyes to what possibilities there are in college, especially here in Iowa. All of those possibilities include leadership, and it can come in all different forms. I don’t know exactly what I will do for my future career, which is okay! A big takeaway from our morning session is that it’s okay not to have my future planned out! My decision can change a million times. When I figure out a path, I need to get the right education. Normally going to college gets you higher paying jobs but as we learned on this experience day, you don’t have to have that higher education to have a meaningful career.

In the afternoon of this experience day, after having a delicious lunch at the DMACC Bistro, we met with several different tech companies in Iowa. This included Businessolver, Workiva, Corteva, and Vizypay. They each showed us how they use technology in their business including payments, insurance, security, agribusiness, and much more! The message from this part of the day is that technology is a big thing in business and is used very regularly. I’m very thankful to have received that insight from those businesses and the reminder to keep Iowa businesses in mind for my future job.

I currently attend Arizona State University (ASU) and am pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics. I am the VP of Recruitment and Network Development for the ASU student chapter of GreenLight Solutions, Dancer Relations and Morale Chair for Sun Devil Dance Marathon, and a student member of Refugee LINK.

YLI taught me the importance of becoming involved with my community and I have made that a priority in my time at ASU. As I continue to explore Phoenix and Tempe, I am meeting people from different walks of life and backgrounds from mine. It has also given me a greater appreciation for the city in which I grew up in and it makes me proud to call Johnston and Des Moines home.