Monsignor Edward Pace High School junior Mia Lama and freshman Matthew Schaffer improved their leadership skills at the Youth Leadership Miami conference sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and held at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus from March 20-21.
Lama and Schaffer were invited to the conference after an application process where they answered questions pertaining to Miami-Dade County. Most of the program’s first day involved activities for high schools students to build leadership and teamwork skills.
On the second day, attendees heard from community leaders and inspirational speakers at workshops and presentations. Lama noted that she got the chance to meet with speakers whose programs and organizations she plans to work with more in the future.
“The most important thing I took away from the conference was to be open to people’s ideas,” said Lama, who called the conference “a truly enriching experience.”
Schaffer called the program “extraordinary,” adding “It taught me a lot about who I am and what it takes to lead a team and help that team to achieve the desired goal.”