2024 HSLP: Day 10

High School Leaders Program Class of 2024
Day 10: Monday, July 22nd
Reported By: Hartley Hayden, West Potomac High School and Sid Schweigart, Washington Liberty High School

Everyone started off the 2nd Monday at Sorensen by heading to breakfast where some met with their policy groups to prepare for our big deadline coming around the corner. After that we all headed through the rain and clouds to Clark for our first lecture today with Ms. Huebeck. During today’s lesson we learned about the inspirational story of the Moton High School strike, one of many segregation strikes that inspired Brown v. Board of Education. We saw images of the two different schools and we were able to see how unequal the two really were. Connecting this to our leadership skills we’ve learned and the importance of taking a stance on what you care about. 

After lunch we had our first panel of speakers on 3 women who all work in congressional offices, where many of the students were eager to reach out for internship and networking opportunities. They shared their political experiences, and what led them to their current success. From there we heard from 3 more speakers all working in criminal justice reform. This visit also included a surprise visit from a TikToker who focuses on criminal justice reform and spreading awareness about prison. Many students were able to ask thoughtful questions regarding criminal justice, as a few of the students at Sorensen are looking to pursue careers in that field. From there we were met with another panel, but this time lobbyists who then went on to support, ask questions, and help us in our policy project groups. We were able to receive personal and specific advice on how to improve our policies. After dinner, everyone headed back to Humphrey Hall to get some work done. The hard work continued through the night and is sure to head into tomorrow in hopes that each group finishes their projects.