Leading with purpose: PWHS students gain ethical leadership skills

More than a dozen Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students dedicated a recent Friday evening and full day Saturday to honing their leadership skills through Five-Star Character: The George C. Marshall Ethical Leadership Conference.

George C. Marshall may not be a household name, but his leadership as a soldier and statesman during and after World War II resulted in numerous decorations, awards, and honorary degrees, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the “Marshall Plan” that rebuilt war-torn Europe. 

Representatives from the George C. Marshall International Center in Leesburg, Virginia, visited PWHS to share Marshall’s principled approach to leadership — Selfless Service, Unwavering Integrity, and Visionary Leadership — with the student volunteers. 

Using this new perspective, PWHS junior Olivia Edwards reflected on her experiences with people in her past who weren’t effective as leaders. “I’m learning why things didn’t work out and how I can fix it in the future,” she said.

After gaining a better understanding of George C. Marshall and his ideals, the students split into groups to put what they learned into practice by determining a need affecting the community and developing a hypothetical non-profit organization to address it. The groups created mission statements, core values, and action steps. Then they presented their ideas to a mock board of directors. 

For PWHS junior Dhruv Shevade, his favorite part of the conference was the activity. “It’s just fun,” he said. “It’s interesting learning about leadership, and this activity represents that in a really good way.”

The proposed organizations included a mobile food pantry to address food insecurity and food deserts, a tutoring/mentoring program to help encourage underprivileged children to continue their education, and a support system for encouraging more female leadership in sports, government, and business. 

Pete Janhunen, Director of the Ethical Leadership Program for the Marshall Center, praised the volunteers on their participation. “These students want to be here. They’re fully engaged. They’re excited,” said Mr. Janhunen. “And based on the exercise they’re doing right now, they’re eager to make a difference and positive impact in their world and community.”

Five-Star Character: The George C. Marshall Ethical Leadership Conference was hosted by the PWHS counseling department who hopes to bring the program back to the school next year.