43
Learning leadership
Young people from 35 countries participate in HLCA program
Howland
Michael Schaefer, 18, learned about leadership during his second year as ambassador in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy program.
The Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy aims to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
This year, 325 students from 35 countries and 25 U.S. states and territories participated in HLCA.
“The camp is actually more of a leadership academy than a focus on space,” Schaefer said. “It teaches you to be leaders in the community and in the job field. It’s about natural leaders.”
Last year, Schaefer learned the foundations of leadership and the differences among assertive, arrogant and passive leaders.
But he also got to dabble in science and mechanics.
“The camp did tie in people’s love of science,” he said.
Schaefer called the experience an “amazing opportunity.”
“Just everything about it – you meet the most amazing people and have the most fun of your life, and all of the skills you learn are applicable to life,” he said. “Even if you don’t like science, you can come here to meet people internationally. You have the chance to meet more than 128 like-minded people, and you’re going to make lifelong friends.”
Although it is his second run with the program, it was his third time applying – the first year Schaefer didn’t get to go.
Entry into the program is granted after a rigorous application and review process based on academic achievement and community involvement.
His favorite part of attending the camp this year was being able to help others.
“I liked being able to go in and teach kids my age about leadership and applying yourself,” he said. “We also built rockets and programmed computers. I did all the things I’m telling you about last year, and this year I was focused on teaching them [students about] physics and mechanics.”
Schaefer also helped students learn to successfully fly simulators on their own.
The weeklong program runs twice from Feb. 24 to March 9 at the USSRC in Huntsville, Ala., and is open to all students, age 16 to 18, of current full-time Honeywell employees around the world.
Since its launch in 2010, Honeywell, in partnership with the USSRC, has awarded more than 2,091 scholarships to students.
Students engage in team-building challenges such as designing, building and testing their own model rockets; participating in simulated astronaut training sessions; coding challenges; shuttle missions; a moonwalk; and performing scientific experiments and other unique activities. The program also includes a rocketry activity to introduce students to computer science, aiming to encourage interest by addressing the coding gap.
Schaefer’s next goals include finishing his classes at Youngstown State University, getting his diploma from Howland High School and soon attending the U.S. Naval Academy to major in physics, mathematics or aeronautics.