Skip To Main Content

Leadership Opportunities

While participating in a leadership program doesn’t make you a leader, many of Hill's student leadership programs focus on developing skills essential to both academic and professional success, such as communication, problem-solving, time management, delegation, critical thinking, and collaboration/teamwork.

Leadership shouldn’t be attached to a title or position. Leadership is giving opportunities – large or small – for students to lead their peers and to have conversations with adults in our community about what it means to be a leader.B.J. Keefer | Director of Leadership Programs and the Cleveland Leadership Center

Male and female Hill School prefects sitting at a table during leadership training.

Four Reasons Leadership Opportunities Matter:

At Hill, we want students to be prepared to handle whatever they encounter in college, careers, and life. When students are exposed to skill development before entering college or the working world, they are more equipped to do so.

  1. Students learn important life skills in a safe and supportive environment. Many students are not naturally aware of everything that being a leader entails, or that there is a difference between being an effective leader and someone that others simply follow.
     
  2. Students learn how to make friends and influence people. This isn’t just a cliché from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. High school is a great place to experiment with skills and learn how to put them into practice through academics, sports, co-curriculars, and dorm life.
     
  3. Student leadership experiences foster team-building skills. Think about the first time you were asked to lead a group project and the challenges of getting the task completed, especially when that project was graded! Learning to recognize others' strengths and delegate responsibilities to effectively complete a project is an important life skill.
     
  4. Student leadership positions prepare students for life in the workplace. Preparing students with skills that may help set them apart from others vying for the same position is critical. It's important for students to understand how leadership positions listed on a co-curricular transcript or resume may be what gets them into an interview, internship, or job.
decorative rule

Leadership Development Opportunities:

Leadership Roles for Students:

Male and female students sitting around a table having a discussion in The Hill School's Cleveland Leadership Center.

 

The Cleveland Leadership Center

The Cleveland Leadership Center, located in the Athey Academic Center, was established in 2021 through the generosity of Barbara and Tom Cleveland ’64. The Leadership Development Program provides hands-on opportunities for Hill students to develop leadership skills, create their own vision, network with Hill alumni, and workshop new ideas into meaningful programs and events. Student groups such as the Student Government Association, Honor Council, Student Activities, prefects, and program captains gather in this dynamic and comfortable space for idea sharing, training, and mentorship opportunities.

For additional information about The Hill School's leadership program, please contact B.J. Keefer, Director of Leadership Programs and the Cleveland Leadership Center, at bkeefer@thehill.org.