Cincinnati, Ohio, May 15, 2015 – Saint Ursula Academy is proud of Brynna Walchle ‘17 of Symmes Twp. and Maddie Gervason ‘16 of Loveland who were selected to participate in the third annual Leadership & Ethics Seminar for high school sophomores and juniors organized by the West Point Society of Greater Cincinnati.
The West Point Society of Cincinnati hosted its 3rd annual Leadership & Ethics Seminar at Springdale Nazarene Church in Springdale, Ohio. The seminar kicked off a year-long program to help Build Courageous Leaders of Character among selected sophomores, juniors, and faculty members from 90 high schools in the tri-state region.
Gervason and Walchle are among nearly 185 students who participated in the seminar. They will have access to regular mentoring each month, and will be able to compete for scholarships of up to $1,500. In addition, 90 participating high school faculty members, and their principals, will receive invitations to attend a values-based leadership training workshop to be presented by the Medal of Honor Foundation and hosted by GE in the fall.
This seminar curriculum is based on the training provided to new cadets and faculty members at the US Military Academy at West Point and is largely facilitated by alumni from the greater Cincinnati area. After basic instruction on how to demonstrate personal leadership in ethically challenging situations - students and faculty members follow separate programs in small groups of 10-15 participants, each paired with a trained facilitator. The groups examine and discuss their personal values and practices applying them in situations relevant to them with the help of a standard ethical decision-making framework. The cases they use help them internalize a personal code of conduct that will make them stronger leaders.
This year’s seminar featured two guest speakers. In the morning, the students listened to University of Cincinnati President Santa J. Ono, PhD. Dr. Ono is recognized as one of the tri-state’s Most Influential Leaders and has served in teaching, research, and administrative positions at Emory, Johns Hopkins and Harvard University, as well as University College and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. The closing comments were provided by Franklin High School senior, Luke Kennard, a participant of the initial WPS Leadership & Ethics Seminar in 2013. Luke is Ohio’s reigning Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year, has represented the US internationally in the U18 FIBA World Basketball Championships last summer, was recently selected as an McDonald’s All-American, and has signed to play at Duke beginning next fall. Both Dr. Ono and Mr. Kennard have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and spoke about the role of personal values in addressing ethical leadership challenges that they have experienced.
The participants will receive letters of recognition from Governor John Kasich (OH), as well as Congressmen John Boehner (OH), Rob Portman (OH), and Brad Wenstrup (OH). Faculty participants also receive certificates to allow application for CE credits.
The program would not be possible without the generous contributions of PNC Bank, General Electric, the Heidt Family Foundation, and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Ethicon, the Cincinnati Reds, and many private WPS donors.
The West Point Society of Cincinnati is a 501(c)(3) organization. For additional information regarding the West Point Society or the Greater Cincinnati Leadership & Ethics Program, please visit the website at www.leadersofcharacter.org.
To learn more about St. Ursula Academy, please visit www.saintursula.org.
Caption: L-R: Brynna Walchle ‘17 of Symmes Twp., Kate Durso ‘98 Asst. Principal for Student Affairs at Saint Ursula Academy and Maddie Gervason ‘16 of Loveland
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2014 earned college scholarships totaling more than $20-million.