Welcome New Members

The Sapphire Leadership Program polls its incoming members and asks the students why they accepted our offer to become a Sapphire and what they hope to gain from the program.

Here are the Sapphire Class of 2014 answers to those questions

Here are the Sapphire Class of 2013 answers to those questions

Class of 2015

Although this class has been influenced by many different experiences, you also share many similarities. Listed below are what you have in common and also what helps to make you unique.

• Every single one of you has done community service for more than one charity, non-profit organization or your school. Some have been on mission trips to Mexico, Haiti, China, Romania and Nicaragua.
• Every single one of you is in one or more Honor Societies.
• Most of you have held the position of President, Vice President, Treasurer, etc., for an organization, student council, honor society, etc.
• Most of you have held the position of Captain in a sport and played one or more sports.  Swimming, golf, cross country and track are the most popular, but we also have some bowlers, ice hockey and football players, and at least one fencer.
• Most of you play in some type of band, play a musical instrument, or are involved in theater.
• Many of you have served as a peer mentor, tutor or camp counselor.
• There are at least ten of you that have already started a club or organization in your school that fostered a new idea or benefited a non-profit organization.
• There are at least ten of you that mentioned organizing a major fundraiser helping out some type of non-profit organization or person in need.
• There are at least three Eagle Scouts.

Below are a list of 82 words, organizations, people, places, things, etc, that help make you unique, have influenced your world, and led you to become who you are at this time in your life.

“..leadership is not just a position but a role that can be applied in many situations.”
Adopt-A-Highway
Alzheimer's patients
Antioch Retreat
Autism
Best Buddies
Camp Manitou
Community Art House
Coral Reef Society
Currents Events Club
Donate Life Program
Eagle Scout
Elizabeth Kubler
Environmental Club Award
Essence Foundation
Fencing Team
Generation 4 Change.
"Good News".
Haiti
High School Drum Line
HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Organization)
Hurricane Katrina
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation- Walk for a Cure
Karate Taekwondo
"Keeping the Faith"
Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund Shoot-Out Fundraiser
Korea
La Chureca, Nicaragua’s
La Mancha Animal Reserve
Lake Powell in Arizona
LaVallee Alliance Non-Profit Organization
Les Miserables
Little Lion Fund
Mark Woods, Renowned Violinist
Marketing Program
Medal D'Or Ecole de Ski Suisse
Mini-THON
Mock Trial Team
Most Sophisticated Design
Neidig Leadership Camp
New Eyes for the Needy
New York City
Olympic Training Center in CO
PA Centre Orchestra Amadeus Concert Competition
People to People Ambassador
Performing Arts Club
Philosophy Club
Pinnacle Settlement Services
President Clinton.
Project Hope
Public Theatre Shakespeare Competition
QualX Corporation
Rocky Mountains
Romania
SADD
Scholar Athlete Award for Golf
Schuylkill County Youth Conference
Senior Ballet Company
Shakespeare Monologue Screen Contest Winner
Shovel for a Cure
Sobac Olympics
Spirit of Egypt Award
St. Jude Benefit Concert
Stamford Symphony
Steel City Selects
Student Athlete Leadership Academy
Students Helping Other People (S.H.O.P.)
Swim for Cancer
Teenage Republicans
Thailand
The Stone Pony in Asbury Park
The Tempest
THON Captain
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer
USSA Eastern Ski Racing Champion
University School CFL
Valladolid, Mexico
Vince Lombardi
"Why underachieve when you can over achieve?"
Woman of the Year
You're a Star Award

Class of 2014

Now that you are a Sapphire, you are in good company.  We believe you will find a great connectedness in your cohort as you all have some similar ideas, interests and values. You have all done some kind of community service for many different organizations, and some have even traveled abroad for mission trips to places like Honduras and Equator.  Some of you have even started individual organizations to help out within your community or school. Further. quite a few of you were members of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).  Additional significant accomplishments include:

• Many of you have competed or been involved with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).
• Some of you have held positions of president, vice president, treasurer or secretary for an organization, club or in student government.
• Most of you played sports and many have held the position of captain.
• A large number of you are musically talented, play one or more instruments, and played in some kind of band.
• Some of you have real interest in theater and film.
• Many traveled abroad with family, teachers, friends or the People-to-People Ambassador Program at their school.
• We have valedictorians, co-valedictorians, a few martial arts black belts, a homecoming queen, a certified rescue diver and a cancer survivor.

We hope you put your talents to good use for Sapphire, Smeal and Penn State!