Indian Creek Students Learn to "Handle the Pressure" at AIMS Leadership Conference

On Tuesday, March 3, Indian Creek students Portia Fernandes ‘21, Alston Georges ‘22, and Emma Kornmeyer ‘21, along with teacher Lindsey Seynhaeve, traveled across town to participate in the interactive, student-focused AIMS Learning to Lead Conference, held in partnership with The Social Institute. Learning to Lead is a flagship event in the AIMS calendar each year, committed to encouraging the development of leadership skills in students. This day-long event for students and faculty members was hosted by Severn School, and featured a keynote address, breakout sessions, and round table discussions.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Handle the Pressure: Building Social Media Leadership in Our Students.” The focus of the day was a study of how social media continues to transform the educational landscape in schools, as well as the emotional development of our students. As young people are being asked to grow up faster, the implications of their decisions have grander consequences that can affect their social lives, mental health, academic performance and, in some cases, college matriculation and career path. Throughout the day, attendees explored how students are faced with intense pressure to be perfect, and what can be done to help. Key note speaker Laura Tierney, from The Social Institute broke down some ideas on social media and handling life. Attendee Emma Kornmeyer found the experience to be quite valuable. “I was able to think about my own views and then I actually learned new information and perspectives that made me think about things a bit differently. I really thought Ms. Tierney’s message was something a lot of teens should hear! This opportunity allowed me to go out of my comfort zone a bit and I did enjoy it.”