BGSU Firelands students attend leadership event

HURON TWP. — Two BGSU Firelands students recently went to a leadership summit organized by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. Gabrielle Witt and Savannah Stacy, both enrolled in the college's education program, participated in the Propel Ohio Collegiate Leadership Summit, according to a release from the college. The summit is a conference hosted in Cleveland to promote civic engagement and student leadership. Witt is a native of Clyde, and Stacy is from Tiffin. They participated in leadership and civic engagement activities at the summit with 300 college students across the state, the release states. One activity includes forming groups with the other students and discussing personal challenges and experiences. "It made me realize that I need to push to become the best version of myself and be an active member in my community because, one day, I will be in a position to advocate for the needs of others," Witt said. Other activities at the summit included speeches from Brown, the event's organizer, about civic engagement; a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Connie Schultz, about the power of journalism; and 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell. Without the support and education they are receiving from BGSU Firelands, Stacy and Witt both said they would not have had the opportunity to participate in the summit. "My college journey has been exploratory, including changing majors a couple of times," Stacy said. "The passion for working with children, especially those with special needs, motivated me to join the BGSU Firelands program."