Maryvale kicked off the 10-year celebration of the Patricia J. Mitchell '65 Leadership Institute with our Middle School students.
On Tuesday, October 22, students participated in interactive activities to promote teamwork in leadership. They started off with a silent activity, showing how difficult teamwork is without communication. Organizers then progressed the activity, allowing verbal communication. The students ran through this version of the activity three times; each time was led by someone in a different grade to show leadership styles at different ages.
On Thursday, October 24, Carol Hatton P'29, a consultant for the Finney Group, presented to Middle School students. She shared insight from her leadership journey, emphasized the importance of teamwork, and discussed how leadership transcends various aspects of life.
Ms. Hatton has an extensive background in athletic leadership within the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM). She served as President of the IAAM for two years, successfully captaining the league of 30 member schools through the challenges of the global pandemic. In January 2020, she was named IAAM Athletic Director of the Year by the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, representing District 10. In 2018, she was inducted into the Baltimore Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame, where she was honored for her tremendous accomplishments as both a player and coach.
Ms. Hatton started with a quote from Bill George, “Leadership is a journey, not a destination." She approached her presentation from a perspective of what she wished she had known in middle school. She leaned into the concept of leadership being a journey, and the journey is where leadership skills are developed, "where the magic happens."
She talked about careers in athletics and the values of athletics, as well as the importance of learning from losses, believing in yourself in moments of adversity, and being positive for yourself and others. Ms. Hatton also highlighted the key characteristics of a great leader:
- Being emotionally intelligent, which includes being self-aware, motivated, and empathetic
- Having authentic relationships
- Overcoming adversity
- Communicating effectively
- Prioritizing wellness
- Controlling the controllables
"Athletics has positively impacted my life since I was 9 years old. And I believe I have a responsibility to pay it forward. Whether that is coaching, mentoring, or having the opportunity to share what I wish I knew at their age to make their journey even better. I want girls to know that if athletics is their passion, they can turn that passion into a variety of different careers, but maybe most importantly, the lessons and leadership skills that they learn from athletics translate to all aspects of their personal and professional lives."
The lesson Ms. Hatton taught our students will continue in middle school leadership resource classes.
