Rudy was able to attend this summit with the assistance of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman MLA Moses Kirkconnell III.

Over the past summer Cayman Brac student Rudy Walton, a grade 10 student at the Cayman Brac High School, visited Harvard University in Boston, Massachusettes, where he attended the People to People Leadership Summit.

Rudy attended this programme along with delegates from around the world. During the week-long event the teenager learned about effective leadership and how to develop his own leadership abilities in order to make a difference at home. Hearing professional speakers, attending workshops, and visits to significant venues allowed Rudy a new perspective on what it takes to lead.

“The Leadership Programme showed me how to become a better leader by using different techniques to help others to understand the lessons you are teaching to them; and how you can’t always be a leader, but sometimes you have to follow,” said Rudy.

“The thing that I enjoyed most was the team-building day. We went in to the woods to participate in activities such as tree-climbing, where teammates support you and give you the reassurance that we all were in it together. I was also able to enjoy a trip aboard the USS Constitution “Old Iron-side”, a battleship used during the Civil War, on the day of its annual harbour run.

“I think that I grew personally by helping the others to develop their own learning techniques, which in turn improved my efficiency,” he added.

“While at the programme, I was given a book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens’. It tells about the tough issues and life-changing decisions that we face every day. The book also seeks to improve self-image, build friendships, while allowing teens to resist peer pressure and achieve goals.”

People to People Leadership Summits are designed to allow students the chance to explore leadership in a specific context, and they are held in prestigious venues around the USA. They focus on the role of young men and women as future leaders, politicians or community servants, while helping them to discover their own potential.

The programmes offer students a unique blend of specialized education, leadership, and cultural exposure, in an activity-filled itinerary. Participants often experience life-changing attitudes toward individual and shared responsibilities, global leadership, and cultural diversity – which in turn foster enhanced personal growth and self-confidence.