In the week of Jan. 22 through the 26, Aliso Niguel High School’s ASB and PTSA presented a Week of Understanding with national youth speaker Keith Hawkins which focused on strengthening school culture.
Keith Hawkins is a youth motivational speaker and leadership consultant who returned to the ANHS campus after his impactful presentation to the student body last year. He has been speaking across the country for nearly two decades and almost half a million students every year.
Mr. Hawkins led sophomores through several activities to strengthen the campus’ school culture. Central to Mr. Hawkins’ message is the concept that when we know “the story” behind a person, we can create an environment that is healthy, strong and supportive of everyone in it.
Keith Hawkins says, “If you notice the little things, you can help someone. Once you start noticing things about people, they will notice you care.”
To facilitate this day, about 150 accomplished juniors and seniors were selected to be trained on Jan. 22 as group leaders who worked directly with the sophomore students for one day of the week.
The program began with a meet and greet introduction activity where sophomores and upperclassmen got into groups of two or three and did icebreaker activities and games. Mr. Hawkins led activities such as thumb wars and even had students change five things about their appearance to display the significance of noticing the little things.
Ana Campos (12) says, “My biggest takeaway from going was that everyone has gone through or is going through something and by being kind and respectful to everyone in general, we will create a safe space for people to be themselves and be heard.”
Kindness increases a positive outlook and creates a sense of belonging for everyone at Aliso Niguel. This way, all students, including sophomores, will feel supported and confident.
Keith Hawkins says, “The most powerful force is decision making. The only thing that can stop you is you.”
The power to make decisions means that students at ANHS can decide what kind of life they will lead and what culture they want to create here at their school. By making smart and kind decisions, students can make everyone feel loved, seen, and heard.
Ana Campos says, “In the kind words of Keith, I learned that you may not remember the people you helped, but the people you helped will always remember you. I also learned that everything is temporary, so if people talk behind your back, they will always be behind you anyways, and it won’t matter in the end. And finally that people don’t have to tell you their life stories to earn your respect, that should be given automatically.”
Something as minor as offering a helping hand or giving a compliment to a classmate may seem unimportant, but in reality, kindness never goes unnoticed. By doing these things, students at ANHS can help sophomores look at one another through a lens of compassion and love.
Through this week-long program students experienced personal growth and gained true leadership experience with an opportunity to leave a lasting impact upon the ANHS student body.
