Out of 300 applicants from all across the state, Oxford High School senior Casey Wright was one of just 65 students to receive a full SET SEG Foundation Scholarship which allowed her to attend MASC/MAHS (Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies) Leadership Camp during the last week of July.
Wright said she was approached by her leadership class teacher about possibly attending the camp, but she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to do it because she was attending musical theater camp a couple weeks before, but was able to work things out.
In order to get the scholarship Wright had to write an essay on what leadership means to her and what she thinks leadership is.
‘I did the best I could and I guess they really liked it because I got a full-ride scholarship,? she said. ‘My teacher was really proud of me. I’m actually going to be the vice president of our leadership class this year.?
The camp was held at Albion College, which Wright thought was a little nerve-racking as it was her first experience in a college dorm style setting, noting that it also brought on a new reality.
‘My parents were like ‘here, set everything up,? she said. ‘This was getting real because next time I’ll be leaving for college and won’t be coming back.?
Wright said the week itself was filled with various games and activities to help teach them about leadership, team work and communication. At the end of each night, she said her group would sit on the steps outside of one of the buildings and play a game called ‘tranquility,? where someone from one of the groups would share a life experience and another person would talk about a similar experience and they would discuss the difference between the two.
‘It was a way to leave something with the group to think about before going to bed,? Wright said.
One of the other things Wright enjoyed was after every meal, whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner they would do a bunch of cheers and chants with the counselors.
‘It was like a giant rave party,? she added. ‘That was every single day, no matter what you were feeling, bad or whatever, it just made you feel so much better.?
Wright said she felt like she learned some valuable lessons.
‘I took away that sometimes you have to step down and (let others) find their own path and sometimes to lead you have to follow,? she said. ‘I also learned that you aren’t the most important thing. There are many people in this world that have many different opinions and different voices and even though you think something is right, it may not always be always right. It could be the correct answer or the wrong answer.?
As far as the future, Wright is hoping to attend Central Michigan University to major in broadcasting and cinematic arts and possibly double minor in leadership and music.