County youth gain valuable leadership skills at Teen Leadership Summit

Twenty-one Big Horn Basin youth, including Camden Koziol, Daizy Weinand, Oakley Bischoff, Renaka Lauhoff, Rae Leonhardt, Zach Unruh, Amee Acton and Alynna Monterde from Big Horn County, recently participated in the Northwest Teen Leadership Summit, an engaging event designed to develop leadership skills, communication strategies, and confidence among young leaders. 

The summit provided hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with local business leaders, fostering valuable life and career skills.

Participants identified communication, confidence, and teamwork as the most valuable leadership skills they learned. One attendee shared, “Business owners really appreciate communication in order for them to plan ahead, so that will be something I apply to my future career.” Another participant said they gained confidence in “talking to others and getting out of my comfort zone.”

Before attending, youth rated their comfort with leadership roles on a scale of 1 to 5, with responses averaging around a 3. However, after the summit, most participants reported increased confidence, with many rating themselves at a 4 or 5. One youth shared, “I feel like I can make a difference and take on more leadership opportunities.”

The summit’s most popular activities included icebreakers, confidence-building exercises, employer discussions and outdoor team challenges. One student remarked, “I really liked the scavenger hunt because I got to participate more and had fun.” Others highlighted how activities helped them build stronger connections with their peers, noting, “I felt like we were all learning together and I wasn’t being judged.”

While some participants initially struggled with meeting new people or speaking up, many overcame these challenges by stepping outside their comfort zones. One attendee reflected, “I’m not the best at talking to new people, so I took time to get to know them first.”

The summit received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with all respondents saying they would recommend it to a friend. One youth summed up the experience, saying, “It was fun, helped me learn leadership, and made me feel more confident in meeting new people.”

For more information about leadership opportunities in Big Horn County, contact Gretty, the University of Wyoming Big Horn County 4-H Educator, at 307-568-4160 or 307-272-0576.