|
$$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
|
|
WA State Leadership Board Members and Program Participants gather at Secretary of State's Office to press and take home their own Washington State Seal during this year’s 2nd Annual Day on the Hill. |
|
April 2024 NewsletterAs the world awakens to vibrant beauty of spring, so too, does our commitment to recognizing leaders and cultivating leadership. The past few months have been marked by outstanding accomplishments and thrilling news within our organization, and we have eagerly awaited sharing the details with you. Let’s begin! We are pleased to announce that Adrianne Haunert joined the WA State Leadership Board’s programming team as a Programs Coordinator. Adrianne began their journey with us on January 15th, 2024, and reports to Director of Programming, Amy Ubungen. Adrianne will oversee our Boundless Washington and Team S.A.M. programs. Before starting at the WA State Leadership Board (WSLB), she managed a men’s basketball team in Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate assistant and later earned her M.S. in Athletic Administration. Adrianne joins us with a plethora of skills. Her experience includes youth program coordination, event planning and relationship management. She is the perfect fit for our growing team, and we are honored to be joined by her. On February 22, 2024, the WSLB had a busy day full of events, including the 2nd Annual Day on the Hill, its first board meeting of 2024, and the 48th Annual Leadership Awards. Let's dive into the details of this exciting trifecta of events! Members and program participants of the WSLB gathered at the State Capitol to educate lawmakers and advocate for the Board's work. Board members and program participants also had the privilege of not only assembling at the Secretary of State's Office and meeting Secretary Hobbs, but also got to press and take home their own Washington State Seal. Thank you, Secretary Hobbs!
|
|
These determined young leaders impressed policymakers with their passion and eloquence, sparking productive conversations about how our work positively impacts communities across Washington. After completing 20 total legislative appointments with 14 students representing 10 districts, we applaud these students for their dedication. |
|
|
|
The Board also convened to adopt the new Mission, Vision, and 10-year Goal formulated at the November 2023 Workshop. These newly defined outcomes chart a strategic course for the WSLB's growth. The revised Mission, Vision, and Goal will steer the Board's priorities and actions going forward. Check out our updated website to check out our new Mission, Vision and 10-year goal. After our Day on the Hill Event and Board meeting, our team pivoted to hosting the 48th Annual Washington Leadership Awards. The electrifying atmosphere was inspiring, and we sincerely thank all who helped make the event an immense success. We offer a thunderous applause to this year’s honorees—Weld Seattle, Jan Yoshiwara, Dr. Marsha Linehan, and WA-BLOC. A heartfelt congratulations to these honorees, whose great service and contributions to our state is truly inspiring. As this year’s Legislative Session came to an end last month, are extremely thankful to our Ex-Officio members - Governor Inslee, Secretary of State Hobbs, Lt. Governor Heck, Senator Claire Wilson, Senator Judy Warnick, and Representative Joe Timmons - for their support of our organization. Their support empowers our Board, expands our programs, and amplifies our impact.
|
|
Exciting developments are happening within our WA World Fellows program! We’ve recently named our new 2024 Cohorts: the 7th International Ambassadors cohort and our first Domestic Advocates cohort. Our official cohorts announcements will take place in May during our Programs Celebration Day! The 2023 cohort is preparing for their upcoming trip to Spain this summer. They have been collaborating with their Spanish counterparts on the International Youth Summit and our team in Spain has been thoroughly impressed with the quality of work they have completed so far. Upon returning from Spain, WSLB staff will dive into the Domestic program at Eastern WA University. Here, preparations will begin for a Youth Advocacy Summit that will be coordinated with next year’s Day on the Hill. As for the 2022 cohort, they are wrapping up their senior year with impressive achievements, including college acceptances to Harvard, University of Washington, Princeton, NYU Silver School of Social Work, University of San Diego, and Pacific Lutheran University.
|
|
Adrianne, WSLB’s newest Programs Coordinator, has been diligently following up and checking in with last year’s Team S.A.M recipients. Additionally, she has spearheaded the creation of a streamlined system for the distribution and management of upcoming grants. Check back for the announcement of this year’s Team S.A.M. grant recipients! Boundless WA has conducted interviews, and the 2024 cohort has been selected. We are thrilled to welcome our first participants from Evans and Cle Elum, WA! The 2024 group chat has started, and their first meetings have been scheduled. . Keep an eye out for our official cohort announcement at our Programs Celebration Day. Preparations are underway for the Boundless Summer Adventure in Cheney, WA, promising an unforgettable experience filled with outdoor activities, team building, and leadership development.
|
|
Our new 2024 Compassion cohort of students and mentors have been actively engaging in meetings and preparations for their upcoming service-learning trip scheduled from April 13th-24th. To strengthen bonds within the cohort, WSLB staff facilitated an in-person weekend in Yakima on March 9th, where our 2024 cohort had the opportunity to observe a Compassion project in action. Meanwhile, our 2023 Compassion Scholars have now completed their projects and will be presenting their work during our Program Celebration Day on May 18th. Keep an eye on our websites and social media for more information about our incredible student projects.
|
|
We deeply appreciate each and every one of you for your persistent support. You have been an integral part of our journey, and we eagerly anticipate where our shared passion, drive, and achievement will take us next. Thank you for contributing to our success. Until next time! The WSLB Staff Adrianne, Audrey, Amy, Claire, and Grace
|
|
|
|
