The high school hosted its first Lions Lead event Wednesday, Oct. 1, bringing together a group of student leaders for a day centered on teamwork, kindness and leadership development.
The program, organized by social studies teacher Nancy Mallory and Principal Jason Caudill, was designed to inspire students and provide them with the opportunity to connect with each other and their community.
Lions Lead came from planning for the high school’s new Kindness course, which was unable to run this year due to low enrollment, Mallory explained. Rather than let those lessons go unused, staff members decided to turn their ideas into an interactive leadership event, she said.
“We were learning so much about the importance of kindness in leadership, and we wanted to put that into action,” she added.
The session focused on giving student leaders space to collaborate and hear from community role models, Mallory said.
“We wanted to both inspire our student leaders and give them dedicated time to work together,” she explained. “The leaders in our community who spoke to them shared about their leadership journeys and how kindness has been a strength for them.”
The event included a keynote speaker and an expert panel featuring well-known figures from the Columbus area, Mallory said. Dr. Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health, delivered the keynote address.
The expert panel was comprised of State Representative Dontavius Jarrells, 2025 Citizen of the Year honorees Tim and Ashley Pitts, business owner and former Bexley City Council member Jen Robinson and business owner Kenny Sipes, who each shared personal stories about leadership and community involvement, Mallory said.
Teachers Dianne Day, Sarah Flower, Jamie Hayes and Carleton McGrady led breakout sessions such as “Everyone Matters: Leading a Strong Team,” she said. The sessions encouraged students to reflect on their leadership roles and how to strengthen student engagement and school spirit, Mallory explained.
Student attendees represented a wide range of school activities, she said. Fall sports captains, the Student Council Executive Board, the Black Student Union officers, members of Culture Climate Council and Student Section Leaders were in attendance, she added.
Senior attendee Kael Wilson said he found out about the event through an email.
“My coach explained how seniors are seen as good leaders, and I realized it was something I should take seriously,” he said.
The event combined student discussions and focus groups led by the guest speakers, Wilson said.
“Dr. Amy Acton stood out to me the most,” he said. “She was very passionate about sharing her story.”
Wilson said his biggest takeaway was leading is about more than authority.
“It’s about showing younger teammates how and why they can become leaders and that their voices matter,” he said.
Next time, the plan is to invite more student leaders from a wider range of clubs, teams and organizations, Mallory explained.
“We started with a subset of our student leaders with the understanding that we will hold two more sessions this year,” she said. “We are planning one in the winter and another in the spring.”
Mallory said she wants the lessons from the event to ripple outward into the broader school culture.
“We are hopeful that student leaders will bring the messages that they heard back to their groups and inspire younger students to lead with strength and kindness,” she said.
Wilson said Lions Lead was a lesson in how leadership develops from the way you treat others.
“Being a leader isn’t about having power,” he said. “It’s about helping others and listening.”
Published and digitized November 2025.
