The First Leadership Initiative 2012-13

October 15th was the start of the first Leadership Initiative this year. The Leadership Initiative’s main goal is to encourage the participants to take responsibility for their lives of faith, and to help sustain faith in a college setting. GPA participants were put into teams according to what practicum they were interested in. Each week a new team member was given the responsibility of being team leader. “I noticed how much influence people have on others, especially within my own team. The leader has to take initiative to set a good example if they expect others to cooperate and have a good fulfilling experience,” Alex Swenson shared.

This first module practicums consisted of culinary, MMA, ballroom dancing, video, ministry, administration, and design. A typical day would start off with a class in the morning such as: finding your God language, goal setting, public speaking, building healthy relationships, etc. Practicums started after lunch, and evening programs typically started around 7 PM. Along with all these activities, participants were able to volunteer at local church family homes, supporting the Hurricane Sandy relief. A few more activities included an event by Liberty In North Korea- a non-profit organization, a Halloween party in Belvedere, and attending True Mother’s sermon in NY on November 4th. The leadership Initiative concluded their time in New York with ice skating in Bryant Park. These participants traveled to their next module on November 18th.

GPA Participants Hurricane Sandy relief work