Kaleigh Homstad, a Culver City resident and incoming junior at Marymount High School, played an important role on the Executive Team for the “A Better Self for a Better World” conference on June 9.
The conference, held at Marymount High School, was conceived by students wanting to help younger girls develop self-confidence. The encouragement the middle school students received will help them start their high school career on the right foot and influence the direction of the rest of their lives.
As Executive Team member, Kaleigh Homstad contributed to leading and organizing the conference. The All-Girls Leadership Conference provided sessions first to shape “A Better Self” by covering topics on kindness, friendship, empowerment, confidence, and leadership in morning sessions.
Homstad helped lead the afternoon sessions for “A Better World”.
“Girls were able to listen to a great group of student speakers talking about the service they do. But my favorite part of the afternoon sessions was providing the girls who attended the conference with service projects and showing them what they can do to better the world,” said Homstad.
They made lunches for the homeless, wrote holiday cards for Meals On Wheels, made encouraging placemats for children who are hospitalized and beauty bags for women in women’s shelters.
Small group discussion provided the opportunity to build relationships and reflect together on the sessions’ topics.
Homstad said, “Middle school for girls is a time of change and this time can be very scary. The talks given were really to help them gain confidence in who they are and to help each girl find her voice.”
Marymount High School is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school, located in the Holmby Hills/Bel Air area of Los Angeles, and graduated 90 students in the Class of 2012 last May. Kaleigh Homstad served as Conference Chair along with other students, Jesslyn Whittell, Amy Monzon, and Madeline Whitesell. It was their first time helping plan and lead the conference, and they succeed in attracting students from all over Los Angeles.