OASL Newsletter
Ohio Association of Student Leaders, August 2020
The Ohio Association of Student Leaders is an organization dedicated to the teaching of leadership skills, organizational skills, and people skills valuable to the members and officers of all student organizations!
OASL had two FANTASTIC weeks of OASL Summer Workshop Reimagined as we went virtual this summer!! We were excited to host just over 100 middle school and high school students for our virtual workshop--nearly half of whom were coming from new schools thanks to our growing partnership with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE)!
We had a blast incorporating so many of our staple workshop sessions--such as Middle Level's famous Beach Party, our spirit contests, and the fun-filled Masquerade Party. Senior High continued to participate in Olympics, speed networking, personality type inventories and sessions that focused on breaking down boundaries between new workshop friends. Our beloved To The Moon & Back session--once again traditionally led by our fearless leader, Executive Director Connie Miley focused on finding "the next right thing" when we're feeling stressed or overwhelmed. (See more about this later in our newsletter!)
However, "going virtual" also opened some new doors for us this summer as we explored ways to bring in some new key components. We are so grateful for our team of alumni and special guests that helped us make our Summer Workshop Reimagined possible. We loved a new keynote feature with Andy Thibodeau that helped us kick off our week on Monday. A special thank you to alumni Melissa Rocco, Holly Coates, and Anooj Bhandari for leading our delegates in both Middle Level and Senior High to explore new ideas around equitable leadership and collective action. We are beyond proud of our delegates for the hard work they put into creating action plans that outline tangible ways they can go back to their communities and make a difference, embodying the true meaning of taking workshop home!!! And we were thrilled to end our week with an inspiring Leadership Panel with leaders from across Ohio and beyond--helping our delegates learn from real-life examples of what it means to be a leader in 2020 and really make connections across all of the content we had been working through during our week together.
While we were not exactly sure what to expect as we put on Summer Workshop from home, we could not have been any more pleasantly surprised by our delegates and staff this summer who really made the week so much fun, and more importantly so impactful! We are so proud to say that this summer, both our Middle Level and Senior High programs made history!! And it was just a testament that workshop has never been about a place, it’s always been about the PEOPLE :) A special thank you to our volunteer staff members who gave up their time to facilitate Summer Workshop Reimagined. Thank you to everyone who supported us to make this happen and who joined us in creating the magic once again this summer!
OASL would like to thank Andy Thibodeau for serving as our Summer Workshop Reimagined Keynote Speaker! Andy's message was fantastic, and is linked here for you (or your student leaders) to watch. Delegates enjoyed Andy's presentation and had great takeaways from the session! Thank you, Andy, for all of your hard work creating this special presentation for OASL's "One Spark Starts a Fire" theme!
A message from Andy:
Thank you to the Ohio Association of Student Leaders for the blessing of being the opening speaker for your Virtual 2020 Summer workshop. This program, called "Making Care Contagious" and "Include, Invite, Initiate" was created to compliment your theme of "Send it On" and your Monday goal of "Stand Apart".
To me, the "it" in "Send it On" is your care, and thus your role as a leader is be an example of care for others to follow. Be an example of : good listening skills, enthusiasm, school spirit, a positive audience, and participation in class, activities and the community. What is the largest barrier to care? "The Look" of rejection and negativity when others don't care and don't follow you. How do you maintain enthusiasm to care in the face of rejection? This program offers powerful insights and encouragement.
In addition, a foundation of caring is the power of invitation and inclusion. How can we as leaders be an example of inclusion? Be the leader that initiate's invitation and inclusion, by asking others to join you - for a meal, to your meeting, to your activity, to your social event, into your life, without over complicating it with worries about rejection. "Join us, walk with us, sit with us, come to the activity with us" - these statements CHANGE LIVES. This program concludes with a powerful example from my life about the Mabondo family. Arriving in Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2018, the wife and 7 children of my friend Jules had been apart for 8 years! The efforts of my family and many others in my community to have the courage to initiate invitation and inclusion to this family I know will inspire you!
I wish you strength as you face the unique challenges of 2020 while maintaining your enthusiasm to lead and make a difference! Thank you for participating!
For the 2020-2021 school year, my IMPACT presentations are available for your school or event as customized videos. How can I help you with an IMPACT program that meets your goals at a very reasonable fee? Email me and we can come up with a fun, inspiring and educational presentation for your school or organization!
Piper Jackson, ML Board Member & Summer Workshop Reimagined Middle Level Delegate
For this year's summer workshop I really liked the new experience, I’m glad as leaders that we can change things up once and a while to see what fits. I really enjoyed how we were participating more with senior high! I learned that even though we all aren’t close we can still make a deep connection, and can grow as leaders together even if we aren’t right there next to one another. Also I learned that communication can be hard but if you don’t communicate your word won’t be put in, and you won’t get far without communication. communication can bring you a long way.
This year I’m going to put myself out there more and try to be more confident about myself and the leader that I am. I absolutely loved summer workshop being virtual! You get to talk more about your ideas and opinions, you get to be yourself even more because you’re at home and no ones judging you. Summer workshop being virtual made it so that you can express your thoughts and can listen way better to everyone, you won’t miss out on anything!
Yuva Vidwans, OASL State Board President & Summer Workshop Reimagined Senior High Delegate
Summer Workshop Reimagined Leadership Panel & Facilitators
OASL would like to thank our 8 guest facilitators and panel members who joined us this summer for Workshop Reimagined! These individuals helped guide important and impactful discussions centering on social justice, equitable leadership, and community action planning. These sessions provided the opportunity for our student leaders to become more committed to serving as change makers in their home communities. Read more about each of our special guests & facilitators below!
Molly Dull, Chicago, Illinois
Molly Dull is a senior trainer at the Chicago office of The Posse Foundation, a college success program that provides full-tuition scholarships to amazing young leaders attending college in groups of 10. With Posse, she facilitates weekly small-group workshops, fosters group development, and provides support to students as they navigate predominantly-white spaces of higher education. Prior to working with Posse, Molly held positions at Northwestern University and Marquette University which focused on asset-based community development, civic education, social change, service-learning, and nonviolent conflict resolution. She also served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in 2010, immediately following her undergraduate career at Loyola University Chicago (B.A. International Studies & Women’s Studies and Gender Studies).
In addition to working at Posse, Molly is currently enrolled in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program through Boston University. She is a part-time graduate intern at Shriver Center on Poverty Law, an organization focused on economic and racial justice, where she is researching the disproportionate impact the foster system has on Black and Indigenous families and advocating for policy change.
From 2003 to 2014, Molly staffed various middle level and senior high programs. She also served as a student representative on the state board and was chairperson for the 2006 state conference hosted by her alma mater, Elyria High School. Molly draws from the skills, relationships, and memories OASL helped her cultivate on a daily basis in all that she does.
Bill Warfield, Columbus, Ohio
Bill Warfield is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Mr. Warfield is in his 14th year of public education and is the building principal of Whitehall Yearling High School. Before become principal at WYHS, Mr. Warfield was a classroom teacher at Warrensville City Schools in Northeast, Ohio. He also was an assistant principal, principal and curriculum supervisor for Olentangy City Schools.
Rick Bannister, Columbus, Ohio
Rick Bannister is a 46 year resident of Westerville. He and his wife Diane began dating while seniors at Westerville South High School and continued dating through their years at Ohio State. They have 4 daughters, 3 of whom are now college graduates, and their gift, Riley will be a junior at Westerville South this year.
While at Westerville South as a student, Rick served as Student Council Treasurer, President, and then Senior Class President. Rick attended OASC camp in the summers of 1980 and 81, and led a delegation from Westerville to the OASC spring conference in Kent, Ohio in the spring of 1981. Westerville submitted a bid to host the 1982 conference and their bid was accepted!
Now in his 18th season, Rick serves as the volunteer Public Address Announcer for Westerville South football as well as boys and girls basketball. He is also in his 10 th year as the PA Announcer for Ohio State University’s women’s softball team and has announced men’s and women’s soccer, wrestling, volleyball, and hockey for the Buckeyes over the years. Rick has announced more than 1,000 athletic and special events in Westerville, for Otterbein University, and for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
In 2012 Rick was inducted into the Westerville South Alumni Hall of Fame and the Westerville Board of Education created a Community Service Award in his name. In 2016 Rick was honored as the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Community Service Award Winner.
In January of 2017 Rick launched a 501(c)(3) charity called neighborhood bridges, which has directly impacted more than 103,000 students/families in need and serves 26 communities in Ohio and Alabama. Prior to launching neighborhood bridges Rick served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Ohio State Bar Association for 17 years.
In 2018 Rick was inducted into the Westerville South Athletic Hall of Fame and became the only person from Westerville or Westerville South High School to be inducted into the Student, Alumni, and Athletic Hall of Fame.
In September of 2019 Rick was recognized by the Columbus Dispatch as one of Central Ohio’s 2019 Everyday Heroes. In February of 2020, Rick was notified by the City of Westerville that he will be named the 10th Champion of Westerville. This ceremony has been postponed until the fall due to COVID-19.
Morgan Harper, Columbus, Ohio
Morgan is a lawyer and, most recently, was a grassroots candidate to represent Ohio's Third Congressional District in Columbus, Ohio. Previously, she was a Vice President at Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the nation's largest community development financial institution. Morgan also worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as a Senior Adviser to the first Director. She holds an M.P.A. from Princeton and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
DJ Mr. King, Columbus, Ohio
“Pull Up Close and get Down With The King”. That has been the mantra for DJ Mr. King since joining Radio One Columbus in 2014.
King, a husband and a father of four, describes himself as the ultimate hustler with multiple hats. Whether it's rocking the night show from 7pm-midnight on Columbus' WCKX Power 107.5/106.3 every weeknight, coaching high school basketball or encouraging youth to stay the course throughout the community, DJ Mr. King is the definition of driven.
His creativity on the turntables and high energy on the mic separates him from the competition, while his desire to introduce listeners to new music and trends makes him a fan favorite among millennials in Central Ohio.
King, who began DJing at the age of 16, uses his understanding and connection of music and pop culture to relate to children on an academic and personal level as well, serving as an Intervention Specialist and Algebra 2 teacher at Whitehall-Yearling High School. His youthful appearance is often mistaken of that of high school junior, but the respect granted from every student that crosses his path is genuinely breed, earned and reciprocated.
King also heads a non-profit organization in his hometown of Akron called the Young Black Professionals Coalition, which focuses on the personal, professional and social development of future leaders, including high school and college students through a variety of workshops, social activities and continuous education.
Monday - Friday 7pm-Midnight
#DownWithTheKing
(WCKX Power 107.5/106.3)
Friday 10pm-12am
#FridayNightCutUp
(WCDX iPower Richmond 92.1/104.1)
Community Organizing Facilitators
Anooj Bhandari, Brooklyn, New York
Anooj Bhandari is a community organizer and artist. He lives in New York City, mostly recently having worked as the Restorative Justice Coordinator with Make the Road NY, an immigration and workers rights community organizing agency. He is an ensemble member of the New York Neo-Futurists where he writes, directs, and performs in the weekly show The Infinite Wrench, and is a teaching artist with The Moth, spreading the art and craft of storytelling to youth and community spaces.
Anooj was an active OASL delegate during his time in middle school and high school. Anooj was a middle level and senior high staff member, served as a senior high Executive Board Member in high school, and has since served as an adult staff for summer workshop program. He is thrilled to be back with OASL from a distance this summer.
Holly Coats, Columbus, Ohio
Holly Coats is a lawyer currently serving as a law clerk for Chief Judge Jeffery Hopkins, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Ohio. Before attending law school, Holly spent two years as a community organizer for the DART Network, serving as the lead organizer and executive director of Toledoans United for Social Action in Toledo Ohio.
Holly is an OASL alumma, having served as a Middle Level Staff Member, Summer Workshop Director, and assists with program development.
Dr. Melissa Rocco, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Rocco has worked with leadership education and development initiatives within higher education and across industry sectors for over 15 years. She currently serves as Lecturer and Program Manager for Leadership Studies and Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, & Special Education at the University of Maryland. Dr. Rocco’s scholarship and teaching focus on the intersections of human development, learning design, and leadership theory to help people develop more collaborative and inclusive leadership beliefs and practices. She is an OASL alumna, having served as a Workshop Director, Middle Level and Senior High Staff Member, State Representative, and currently as the Social Media and Communications Coordinator.
Contact us today!
Email: connie.miley@oasl-oh.org
Website: www.oasl-oh.org
Location: 124 Queens Crossing, Dayton, OH, USA
Phone: 937-751-8530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOASL/
Twitter: @The_OASL