Leadership skills are an essential skill in life, but what’s more than that is the ability to realize leadership potential within. Sometimes leadership is found in the most surprising places, and according to Principal Sandy Balascak at ACE, it’s about nurturing that potential and watching it grow.
Balascak is all about fostering leadership in her students and sometimes she will give a gentle, or not so gentle push to her students to help them realize their unique leadership qualities.
Balascak is a strong supporter of the paradigm “problem youth versus youth with problems” and is slated to teach a course at UFV this summer on changing attitudes and behaviour.
Enrollment is currently an issue, and if there aren’t enough seats taken on this innovative topic, the course won’t go through. Information on the course is available at http://ufv.ca/site/course-listings/problem-youth-vs-youth-with-problems-changing-attitudes-and-behaviour.htm.
Most recently, ACE student Frances Oliver, was one of those students who embarked on a leadership initiative by attending the 2017 Minerva Foundation Conference Learning to Lead program at UBC with Balascak, who was the only educator to present amongst a group of CEOs and corporate representatives.
Oliver, sat down with The Observer to speak of her experience at the all girls conference, which provides Gr.11 girls the opportunity to “discover self, develop confidence and explore their leadership potential, while creating a network of women and girls who will support them along their journey.”
Oliver had the opportunity to meet one of her idols, soccer star, Karina LeBlanc, a once in a lifetime opportunity for the student.
“It was unbelievable, I have always looked up to her, and to get the opportunity to meet her really made the weekend special.”
