On Feb. 6, the Leadership student exchange event gave students from nine schools in Seminole County the opportunity to take in new ideas and learn from each participating school. This annual event enables schools to learn from one another and serves as a collaboration of new ideas, while encouraging growth in students as they step out of their comfort zone.

“By having a student exchange, a happier rivalry can be built as well as [friendly] competition,” Leadership teacher Mary Cumberland said. “We all send one representative to each school, where the home school showcases what they do best.”

Representatives who are typically sent consist of juniors and sophomores, so that they are able to share and implement what they learned during their remaining years at Lake Brantley High School. Student exchanges between schools are designed to mend feuds and encourage unity, advocating good sportsmanship. Schools showcase their specific strategies implemented during events, so that guest schools are able to enhance their programs and integrate what was seen at the exchange. This may include how events are organized, set up, and carried out. There are two groups of people that make the exchange possible: the hosts and the representatives.

“I shadowed my host while she was in class and I observed how their school operated,” junior and Lake Brantley representative at Hagerty High School John Carr said. “It was an interesting experience because I got to see how the teachers truly teach and how the students act.”

The hosts remain at their home school and tour the students of the school that they chose, on the other hand, the representatives take a trip to the school, which they chose to visit. For the representatives, it was all about having an impactful experience that would allow them to effectively generate new ideas to improve their own school.

“I actually volunteered to go to Hagerty, which I was happy with,” Carr said. “It was really cool to experience how its like to be a student at Hagerty.”

The students were allowed to choose where they wanted to go. As a result, it benefited them by being able to enjoy the role that they had. The way a person is treated by those they meet also impacts their overall experience.

“We played kickball, toured them around the school and showed them cool teachers and classes,” senior and Lake Brantley host for Oviedo High School Kyle Lesko said. “We also exchanged what our programs do for school spirit. They [the Oviedo students] really liked it and thought it was a nice, fun and good experience.”