Student Ambassador Convening: Igniting Leadership, Inspiring Change

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), in partnership with George Mason University’s (GMU) College of Education and Human Development and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), hosted the Student Ambassador Convening, a transformative event designed to ignite leadership and inspire change among high school students.  

“Bringing student leaders together to share these first steps was a priority for us,” said Kimberly Simpson, PWCS military achievement specialist. “This convening is about laying a strong, inclusive foundation across the division, one where every student feels welcomed and supported.”  

Held at GMU’s Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, the convening welcomed student ambassadors from PWCS high schools, with more than 100 students registered to attend.” 

“I think the importance we see in an opportunity like this is to develop relationships with school divisions in our region,” said Dr. Jennifer Drake Patrick, GMU associate professor of education. “It’s a great opportunity to impact how these school divisions meet the needs of their students.”   

The student ambassadors are committed to building resilient, student-led communities where every student feels seen, supported, and connected from day one.  

The day began with an energizing opening session by Joseph Green, a nationally recognized storyteller and educator, which laid the foundation for the convening.  

“I do at times feel stretched too thin, and Joseph Green addressed that with us,” Shavonne, a senior at Patriot High School, said. “It was helpful to have strategies to learn to manage your time. I think more sessions like that one would be beneficial to students.” 

Students then participated in two breakout sessions designed to develop their skills in various areas such as leadership style, facilitating decision making, time management, staying focused, and caring for their well-being.  

“We talked about what qualities make a leader and how they can be positive or negative in my session,” shared Catalina, a senior at Potomac High School. “So not necessarily just having those qualities as a leader, but identifying where you can go wrong, what kind of person you can be, and where you can grow.” 

Each session was facilitated by experts, including GMU professors, who brought real-world insight and inspiration to the conversations.  

“I think this whole program has been extremely beneficial,” said CJ, a junior at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School. “I love being in a college environment and hearing lectures from these professors – it’s a great experience.”  

Throughout the day, students reflected on their experiences using a “3-2-1” framework: three impacts the sessions made on their thinking, two ideas for their work as student ambassadors, and one question they still had.  

These reflections helped students internalize their learning, have productive conversations with fellow ambassadors, and prepare to bring new ideas back to their schools. 

Kareena Grover, a senior at Colgan High and PWCS School Board student representative, noted that the sessions did a great job of emphasizing the importance of creating leaders out of everyone.  

“I wanted to point out that I really liked how they didn’t just talk about people who are already leaders at their schools,” Grover said. “They mentioned students who may sit in the back of the class or are quiet during discussions and how we can empower everyone.” 

This initiative began as a peer-led support requirement for the VDOE Purple Star School program. While it started with that purpose, it has expanded to provide support for every student who enters a PWCS building. 

The convening reinforced that the Student Ambassador program is more than a volunteer or club opportunity; it’s a lasting commitment to community-building in schools.