Global Leadership Connection is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing juniors in high school for outstanding leadership qualities and academic achievement.
This year, more than 150 student leaders from seven Santa Barbara-area high schools were nominated by their schools to participate in the two-day GLC Leadership Conference, co-sponsored with UCSB, Westmont College and SBCC. Each student, after submitting an application including a written essay, received an individual and group interview by leaders in the Santa Barbara community.
After the first interactive leadership seminar, which took place Feb. 9, the GLC is very excited to work with and encourage the student leaders involved in the program. This will be the fourth year for Global Leadership Connection, and any amount of support and recognition provided to the young leaders of this community is considered a monumental achievement.
About 18 student leaders will be selected based on a specific set of criteria to receive financial scholarships. The top four will be awarded a $500 or $1,000 scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in October. The trip is also an annual event called the GLC Leadership Experience. On Feb. 26, the GLC will interview all of the student leaders at SBCC, and the final day will be March 4 at Westmont. The final day consists of an interactive seminar, continued from what took place Feb. 9, followed by an awards program at which the scholarship recipients will be announced.
This past year, San Marcos High School senior Kelly Shara received the Santa Barbara Female Youth Leader of the Year award and the Jamie Harder $1,000 Scholarship. Laguna Blanca School junior Kai Gamble received the Santa Barbara Male Youth Leader of the Year award and the Busch Family $1,000 Scholarship. Bishop Garcia Diego High School junior Nic Mon and Santa Barbara High School junior Danielle Rottman received the Leaders in Excellence award and the Patrick Family $500 Scholarship.
Those four students, in addition to Elizabeth Haws of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and Andy Busch of Santa Barbara High School, received the all-expenses-paid trip to the GLC Leadership Experience in Washington, D.C., Nov. 4-8, 2011, with students from across the country.
The GLC Leadership Experience consisted of 18 students experiencing the best of what our nation’s capital has to offer, including a White House tour, monuments and museums, a tour of Georgetown University, meeting with a U.S. senator, touring the Pentagon and a private conversation with high-ranking official in the CIA.
To stimulate these talented young people and encourage them to develop and meet tomorrow’s demands, we must give them the recognition and support they deserve from their family, peers and community. These compassionate students are the greatest natural resource our nation has, and they will continue to make a positive difference in our community and world.
The GLC program honors outstanding high school juniors who maintain a high scholastic average and have demonstrated leadership ability in their school, community and spiritual organizations. All participants receive on-stage recognition and a Global Leadership Connection certificate. Global Leadership Connection is incredibly passionate about commending the positive young leaders in the community!
The Santa Barbara area leadership team includes chairwoman Kim Busch, Andy Busch, Alexandra Harder, Ralph Iannelli, Lee Mikles, Maria Fazio, Stacy and Ron Pulice, Marie Sexton, Lindsay McTavish, Wendy Moakler, Michelle Hughes, T.K. Erickson and Mary Jackson.
For more information, contact GLC executive director Carole Harder at 805.452.5594 or glc.carole@gmail.com.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Judy Crowell is an author, freelance travel writer and part-time Santa Barbara resident. She can be reached at news@noozhawk.com.