Leadership on campus is an important aspect of school, and faculty at Pacifica want to ensure that Mariners turn into the leaders they were meant to be. Leaders aren’t born, they are a product of their environment and the hard work that gets put into their work. An outstanding teacher on campus, Mrs. Kitt, wanted to ensure every Mariner got the chance to explore their own leadership qualities and focus on becoming better leaders.

Driven by her passion to inspire, Mrs. Kitt set up her own leadership series to help freshmen find themselves by listening to the experiences of other leaders on campus. When asked about the purpose of her program, she responded, “It’s to build up the freshmen. They don’t necessarily know what they want to do in their high school years. There’s just a big learning curve for them; this is the first time where they’re able to join clubs, and they’re able to be in school sports, but they also have to balance their class loads. So, it’s not just that I’m trying to promote leadership, it’s more that we’ve rethought leadership in order to build character.” The focus is for freshmen who are still finding their way on campus and might need a helping hand with finding their place on campus, but students of all grades are welcome to participate.

Mrs. Kitt has hosted a few activities to help the freshman listen and learn from well-established leaders on campus, such as Mrs. Stultz and Mr. Briggs. The lessons are hosted during tutorials where a teacher can explain a few things about what they have learned over the years of being “captains” of their classes. Students who attend can learn valuable information and differing perspectives to show that great leaders don’t necessarily value the same things. When asked what personal values they valued, Mrs. Stultz responded, “I am a firm believer that you get what you give. So I always try to be my best self and give to others, and eventually, sometimes when you’re in need, they come back around and help you as well,” while Mr. Briggs answered, “Try to do the honorable thing. You should be as crazy as possible and if you commit to something you should mean it.” Both answers are inspiring, yet show the differing leadership styles people can exemplify. Pacifica needs strong leaders from all grade levels on campus and through this Leadership Series, students will be able to learn from their teachers and peers alike.

Another way that students can learn about leadership is from their classmates that put forth these qualities. A prime example of an engaged leader on campus is Senior Kimti Phan. She holds multiple leadership positions such as co-president of the Korean Culture Club and a leader in Pacifica’s NJROTC program, showing strong promise to continue her path as a leader. When asked about how she resolves conflicts as a team leader, she suggested, “The best way is to remind them we have the same goal. It’s not about you versus me. We have to set our mindset that it’s about us versus the problem, because we have the same goal. As a team,

we have to live and die as a team. Everything is dependent on how we work as a team. If that doesn’t work, then obviously we have to take a step back and really reconsider what is important and what steps we need to take to get over it. To solve conflict, you really need to have that open communication, and you need to be able to address things like, “Hey, this is the problem and this is how we’re supposed to solve this problem. It’s not about you versus me, it’s us versus this.” There are many situations where students will have to be a part of a team, and this mindset is a very mature and forward-thinking way to handle any conflicts that may come their way.

There is no shortage of great leaders on campus,s and it is the foundation to a great school. Ultimately, Mrs. Kitt’s Leadership Series hopes to inspire students and teachers alike to all learn a bit from each other to become the best versions of themselves.