STATE COLLEGE — While it may have been just another Wednesday at work in Centre County for most, Oct. 18 was a day that will always be remembered for Leadership Centre County’s Class of 2024. This was the day that over 30 classmates would come together at Krislund Camp and Conference Center for a full day of connecting and learning about one another and ourselves.
Driving to the retreat, I was admittedly nervous. Several of my colleagues are LCC alumni and used words like “life-changing,” “incredible experience” and “powerful” to describe what was in store for me over the next 10 months. Maybe it was the buildup or the rusty post-pandemic small-talk skills, but either way my jitters were very reminiscent of those you get on the first day of school.
Fortunately, the drive was long and scenic enough to relax a bit along the way. The trees were at their fall foliage peak and nearly sparkling with jewel tones of ruby red, clementine orange and dazzling yellows. Nature’s kaleidoscope put on quite a show as I followed the winding roads to get to the camp nestled in Little Sugar Valley, surrounded by forested mountain ridges. Jitters calmed, I arrived and was warmly greeted by one of the many all-volunteer board members who planned, coordinated, communicated and contributed their own time, talent and resources to make the upcoming day possible.
Chris Ortiz, director of Shaver’s Creek Team Development Center and 2017 LCC graduate, and Stacy Budd, Shaver’s Creek Team Development Program coordinator and 2019 LCC graduate, kicked off the retreat with contagious enthusiasm, sharing a broad plan for the day with a quiet room of reserved adults. We knew very little about each other beyond that we all worked and lived in the Centre Region, and had been accepted into Leadership Centre County’s Class of 2024. Turns out, a lot can change in a day.
“We’re helping push your boat off from the dock as you’re going off on this adventure,” explained Ortiz. “It’s really fun to be there and be the ones helping shove everybody off and get into that space.”
From there, our class got right to work with group activities and experiences that kept us literally on our feet and upbeat. From using only six words to introduce fellow classmates after spending just a few minutes with them, to creating a “human map” on a gym floor based on details such as our hometowns and dream vacation destinations, I was quickly learning how fortunate I was to be among so many accomplished, dedicated and caring community members. We shared many similarities, yet the unique aspects of our backgrounds and experiences seemed to provide the strongest source of connection. As Chris and Stacey pointed out during these exercises, these facets of ourselves were contributing to our own class environment in important ways. It wasn’t even noon, and already there was a sense that the emerging dynamic of the Class of 2024 would set us apart from classes before.
By the afternoon, the chatter and laughter between activities was so constant that it was almost as if a different class had replaced the group from the morning. This energy would prove helpful as we stepped outside for lively hands-on team challenges where our newly discovered leadership styles could shine in games that required quick group thinking and cooperation. It was impressive to see how our class had progressed from learning each other’s names to tackling group projects in the span of just several hours.
The day concluded inside with a group reflection on pressing issues in our community and the role we can all play in addressing them. Each of us also bravely shared personal reflections on our own lives we had written beforehand using the prompt “I am from.” Laughter and tears filled the same room where strangers sat in the morning, but was now filled with connected classmates and friends who knew a great deal more about each other and themselves.
“Everybody really had a beautiful awareness of people’s vulnerability and just sort of leaned in to letting people be who they were,” Budd explained. “Watching everyone be equally engaged and equally listened to really builds a great foundation for the 10-month journey you’re on.”
Describing this day in six words or less? Colorful. Connected. Inspired. Classmates. Leaders. Grateful.
