PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 1Berkshire welcomes its 13th class into the Berkshire Youth Leadership Program.

 

This group of 27 rising high school juniors from across the Berkshires was selected through a competitive application process to begin a year-long leadership development program that kicked off in June with a three-day, two-night retreat held at Camp Becket.

 

The 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program is focused on helping students in the region develop and grow through career opportunity awareness, leadership skill development, and the design and completion of a 9-month-long collective-impact project focused on positively impacting the Berkshires. Selected students have shown a significant capacity to grow their leadership skills and a strong desire to have a positive impact on their communities.

 

Over the next 9 months, these 27 students will convene at locations all around the region to participate in workshops, engage in group dialogues, learn from speakers and one another, and to develop and execute their selected collective-impact project.

 

With a renewed focus on sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion, this year's program will also aim to engage students in meaningful discussions that create critical reflection and new levels of self awareness as we seek to support qualities associated with global citizenry and cultural humility. 

 

"We are beyond thrilled to begin this year's Youth Leadership Program. During the retreat, our students began building connections and thinking about how their personal learning and communication styles interact," Ben Lamb, Vice President of Economic Development at 1Berkshire, and co-director of the Youth Leadership Program said. "We look forward to an excellent year in which our students will learn about career opportunities and resources available to them here in the Berkshires, as well as devising and executing a plan to make a positive impact here in the Berkshires and out in the world." 

 

Made possible through the financial and resource support of sponsors including Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, NBT Bank, and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, the 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program is coordinated by 1Berkshire with the dynamic support of the volunteer Youth Leadership Program Steering Committee. Chaired by Matthew Martin of Mildred Elley, this committee is composed of professionals across the region who commit their time and expertise to develop and facilitate the monthly sessions for the class, while also offering advice to them as they look to their own futures. 

 

The 2023-2024 Youth Leadership Class participants are:

 

Emily Alvarez - Mount Greylock Regional School

 

Maryn Cappiello - Hoosac Valley High School

 

Bradley Chapman - Drury High School

 

Persephone Clark - BART Charter Public School

 

Natalie Cunningham - Wahconah Regional High School

 

Vera de Jong - Mount Greylock Regional School

 

Madison Digrigoli - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Mary Haight - Wahconah Regional High School

 

Will Hakes - Hoosac Valley High School

 

Kaeleigh Heath - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Shaffer Kropke - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Eleanor Kropke - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Catherine Makuc - Mount Everett Regional School

 

Mia McCluskey - Pittsfield High School

 

Molly McLear - Hoosac Valley High School

 

Emma Meczywor - Hoosac Valley High School

 

Micah Miles - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Arthur Millet - Mount Greylock Regional School

 

Griffin Mucci - Hoosac Valley High School

 

Cassius Osinga - Monument Mountain Regional High School

 

Leandra Quintero - Wahconah Regional High School

 

Madeline Rundle - Monument Mountain Regional High School

 

Daniel Sargent - Wahconah Regional High School

 

Etta Schnackenberg - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Jared Senzel - Lenox Memorial Middle and High School

 

Knowl Stroud - Mount Greylock Regional School

 

Elizabeth Wheeler - Wahconah Regional High School