Highlights from the Student Experience!
This year at the Global Training Summit, over 150 students and advisors met to exchange best practices, learn personal and team improvement ideas, and enjoy collaborations and new friendships.
S2S Olympics
Since the Olympics were taking place in Paris, we continued the spirit with S2S Olympics throughout the student training. The analogy was that the S2S students were the torch bearers guiding new students to their new place of belonging and spreading love and acceptance along the way.
Our motto this year: Achieving Our Goals… Maintaining Greatness
Talent Show
Sunday evening, we opened our conference with general logistics information followed by a talent show. Many acts were impromptu, making the event both relaxed, hilarious, and impressive. Immediate bonding among the students was the result.
Dance Party
Our Dance Party Challenge is a perennial hit. Students are rewarded with tickets for a drawing to win a gift card for their S2S team to use at home. Throughout the week, someone yelled, “Dance Party”, and our sound man, Jackson, cued danceable tunes. Students, advisors, and even guest speakers jumped into the controlled chaos.
Guest Presenters
Students enjoyed a stellar agenda, packed with fun activities and engaging and energetic speakers. Keeping in the Olympic spirit, speakers were awarded an Olympic Torch and medal, and a certificate of thanks from the students.
Our speakers included:
Colonel (Ret) Eric M. Flake, M.D.
Dr. Erik Flake, MCEC Board Vice Chair and MCEC Science Board Co-Chair, is a favorite of the students. He spoke about 10 tips for World Changers. He also danced in the Dance Party Challenge! Good moves for an old guy.
HEB
Our supporters from HEB, Johnny Mojica, Christa Aldrich, and Katie Chain presented as a team about their career trajectories and the surprising positive effects of failure.
Dr. Kimberly Dickman
Students were enthralled with Dr. Kimberly Dickman who spoke about the importance of high-quality connections in one’s life.
UTSA
The University of Texas at San Antonio did a 2-part presentation – one of college information and another of telling one’s story and healing through writing.
AMBA
An interesting and popular session on Money Matters was presented by Andia Dinesen from AMBA. Her engaging personality and dance moves helped engage the students in learning to avoid credit card debt and other financial traps.
Pay It Forward
Students enjoyed learning life-saving techniques on dummies presented by Pay It Forward, a nonprofit in DC that spreads this information wherever asked.
Student Advisory Council
Members of the MCEC Student Advisory Council (SAC) shared their experiences as Frances Hesselbein Student Leadership Program and the Caregiving Youth Student Leadership program participants with both adult and student GTS attendees through a series of speaking engagements during the summit. The SAC members also led student trainings and met with legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss military youth challenges.
MCEC SAC members represent high schools across the globe and student leaders’ commitment to monthly meetings, participate in leadership projects, and provide feedback on student programming.
S2S Team Presentations
S2S teams from across the country volunteered to teach S2S skills and values to their peers addressing “Elevator Speeches” and how to engage in small talk to break the ice with new acquaintances. S2S presenting teams included: Madison High School, Nimitz Middle School, Driscoll Middle School – all from San Antonio. Burkburnett High School (TX) and Union Pines High School (NC) also showed incredible poise and talent in presenting.
We hope you will join us at our next Global Training Summit, July 8-10, 2025!
