Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
Nine Derryfield students, accompanied by Head of Upper School Reina Stimpson and upper school history teacher Taylor Fitzgerald, attended the ninth annual New England Youth Identity Summit (NEYIS) at the Waynflete School in Portland, Maine on April 5. NEYIS brings together high school students and educators from public and private schools across New England to connect and learn from each other, to challenge their own ideas and perspectives, and to discover how the world values and needs their participation. This full-day event featured keynote speakers, student-led workshops, and performances designed to build connections within and across communities.
Almedina Ahmetovic ‘26, Dina Adhikari ‘26, Deepsun Adhikari ‘28 , Alexandro Pierre Philippe ‘28, and Genesis Mendoza Alarcon ‘27 gave a presentation entitled: Leadership Identity: it’s a mindset! The session opened with an explanation of the Derryfield LEAD (leadership, ethics and development) program and Explorations programs. In their introduction, the students explained that the LEAD program is teacher led, while the Explorations programs student led. The combination of the two gives students the confidence they need in order to use their leadership skills to connect with their peers. The presenters challenged the session attendees to assess their own leadership style, based on a list of characteristics. The goal of the presentation was to encourage students to cultivate a mindset that will help them to grow into successful leaders.
After the conference two Derryfield students gave feedback.
“At the Youth Identity Summit, I met peers around my age who I’ve never met before, learned new stories that I’d not known, and made new connections within my community that I never knew before. The workshops that I went to were filled with peers who had a common interest and were 100% fully engaged, which made the environment in the rooms extraordinary and such a mixing pot of new ideas, experiences, and opportunities.” Alexandro Pierre Philippe ‘28
“The Youth Identity Summit was amazing, I got to meet so many great people and got to learn so much! Genesis Mendoza Alarcon ‘27
