Those who were unable to attend the first annual Student Community Collaboration Conference, jointly hosted by the Newark Central School District and the Village of Newark at Newark High School November 4th, missed something truly special.
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Held at Newark High School, the event opened with a dynamic keynote speaker, Chris Koch, who lives in Calgary, Alberta Canada and travels the world, by himself, encouraging young and old to push way beyond their perceived or actual limitations and reach for the stars.
He has.
Born to parents Bruce and Barb Koch in Nanton, Alberta, Canada 44-years ago without arms and legs, Koch’s extra-motivational speech “If I Can. . . .” set exactly the right tone for the beginning of the conference designed to encourage and empower Newark High School students to set lofty goals, cultivate leadership skills and understand how to become a vital part of their community by sharing their voice, ideas and thoughts in a way that leads to positive change.
Right out of the gate, one of the most insightful things Koch told the audience was “If you are worried about how you look you are cheating yourself out of opportunities.”
Explaining that there is no known medical reason for him being born without arms and legs, he said kids often ask him how it feels to have grown up without normal limbs.
“I ask them what it feels like to have them. They say, ‘pretty normal.’ ’’
Koch said growing up without arms and legs was actually pretty easy for him because it was his ‘normal.’
“I didn’t know what it was like to have arms and legs and just figured out how to do things the same way you guys did,’’ he said in his engaging manner.
Koch asserts one of the main reasons for his successes is that his parents wisely didn’t treat him any differently than his four siblings and explains more on his website: http://www.ifican.ca/about
“My family could have treated my disability like a total tragedy but instead chose to take it all in stride and make the best of the situation. After all, I still had a good head on my shoulders… and with that, anything is possible.
“I grew up just like any other small-town kid. I played road hockey and baseball with all the others my age. I caused mischief at school and got in trouble from my parents when my grades weren’t good enough. I helped out on my grandpa’s farm operating equipment whenever I could. Life was pretty normal. Sure, I had to do things a little differently and maybe took a little bit longer to complete tasks.
Throughout his talk here he also employed self-deprecating humor, first telling how his grandmother, when she learned Chris had been born without arms or legs, reacted by saying his dad “ never finished anything he started”; sharing how his brother refers to him as his “half-brother”; and laughingly describing reactions to giving out Halloween candy one year when some kids said “Awesome costume.’ I told them, come back here on the first of November, I’ll be wearing the same thing.”
On a more serious note, Koch told his Newark audience that everyone they meet is fighting a battle of some kind and has their own set of challenges.
“But you have an option every morning to choose to be positive about what you have or negative about what you don’t.”
Leaders, he said, have a positive, can-do perspective.
Koch instructed students in the audience to value their community and be willing to help or ask for help and guidance when needed.
“You have a roomful here of adult leaders. Take advantage of these resources.”
Koch told them that they should live being more afraid of regret, than failure.
“When you take a leap of faith and get over an obstacle, you find it wasn’t as bad as you thought. Don’t make mountains out of molehills.
Koch ended his inspiring talk posing the question he is famous for “If I can. . .’’ and received rousing applause.
In keeping with Koch’s message, “If I Can . . . We Can Too: Building Community Together,” was the theme of the conference that was carefully designed to help students in grades 8-12:
• Increase their leadership skills
• Learn how to set goals
• Understand how they can become a vital part of their community and be able to share their voice, ideas and personal strengths in a way that will lead to positive change, both personally and in communities in which they live.
A collaborative team carefully planned the Nov. 4th program that offered five sessions covering themes of empowerment, ownership, goal setting, leadership, belonging, serving others and community, and which was presented by both Newark Central School District staff and area leaders. Participating students chose and attended two, one hour sessions.
The overarching objectives of the sessions were to help students:
• Understand how not to let limitations or obstacles in their lives stand in the way of setting and achieving their goals and dreams.
• Understand everyone has a purpose, a gift, and self-esteem that thrive when they understand themselves and recognize their personal strengths so that they can set both short and long-term goals.
• Understand how being a part of a community allows them to recognize they are a part of something greater than themselves and, regardless of who they are, they can have a positive impact on those around them.
• Understand how local community members have impacted their community and how they too can make an impact by leveraging their leadership skills.
Session presenters and their topics included Lincoln School Principal Kari Hamelink, “The Power of Personal Decisions”; Newark Police Department Officer Jacob Jackson, Playing the Cards You’re Dealt: Your Personal Pathway to Career Success;” NHS 2022 graduate Gabriella Taylor, a junior at St. Bonaventure University, “If Not Me, Then Who? If Not Now, Then When?”; Josh Arnold, Wayne County Community Schools Coordinator and Braxton Guy, Community School Coordinator at Newark Middle School, “The Art of Being You”; “Anatomy of Mentorship” Presenters: Julia Solan, Newark Central School District K-12 Family Outreach Coordinator; Scott Wager, Co-Founder and CEO of Expeditions of Empowerment; and Mentors Newark Allstate Insurance Office Owner Katie Pullen, Wager and Peter Engel.
After lunch in the gymnasium, students, presenters and other conference attendees listened to an hour-long panel discussion. Panelists included Arnold, Guy, Pullen, Henry Hann, former NCSD Superintendent; Kortni Calabrese, owner of Canal View Restaurant; Steve Hasseler, Newark Lyons National Bank Branch Manager and Assistant Vice President; and Kaitlyn Ruffalo, Manager of the Lighting Showroom at First Choice Electric Supply.
Newark Mayor Jonathan Taylor served as the moderator and each panelist answered questions including: what community means to them; what core values have shaped their successes; what mentors greatly influenced their lives and careers; goal setting; challenges and more. A brief question and answer session followed.
Superintendent Susan Hasenauer, who was the overseer in planning the Conference, regrettably was taken ill with COVID and was unable to attend.
However, Susan, who was beyond disappointed to not be able to attend after all the planning and preparation indicated: “I have heard nothing but positive accolades regarding this day. The message from Chris Koch was spot on regarding the positive mindset and can-do perspective it takes to understand what you are capable of and what you can achieve. I am so grateful to our Committee who had been planning this event since last spring; the support from our Village, the panelists, the volunteers, the presenters and our staff members who made this day who made this day possible for a great day of student learning. I believe this is only the beginning.”
“This conference was an awesome opportunity for our students. Between the message of our keynote address, the skills learned in the breakout sessions, and the advice from our panelists, students could leave with self-confidence and ideas to grow their own leadership talents. It was an amazing group and I am confident this annual event will grow each year,” NHS Principal Kelly A. Zielke said
"I was honored to present at the first Student Community Collaboration Conference,” said Gabriella Taylor. “As a recent alumnus of Newark High School, I had a unique opportunity to connect with the students as a presenter, and I think we were both able to learn from the experience. I am proud to belong to a community that invests in its future and proud of the students for investing in themselves. I look forward to seeing the conference evolve next year."
“Attending the leadership conference really helped me gain a better understanding of personal leadership, how to set goals that I can accomplish and how to become successful in the future. It also helped me have a better understanding on how to be a mentor and what mentors in our community do to help us,” said NHS junior Camryn Tolleson.
NHS senior Mikalya Miller said: “I enjoyed seeing alumni and business owners from our community come to share what they know with us. They created an environment where it was okay to be unsure and to learn. I was glad that they space was so open for questions and even networking.”
After the Conference, Mayor Taylor thanked Koch, who stayed for the entire event and attended some of the sessions after he spoke; all the presenters, panelists and “Susan Hasenauer and her great team that made it happen.”
“I’ve heard so many positive comments. I think this was a great inaugural event _ certainly something we want to continue to help develop young leaders in our community.”