COSTA MESA : Looking in New Places for Leaders

A one-day leadership conference was held Wednesday to encourage 80 Costa Mesa High School students to become more active at school.

Principal Ed Harcharik said the conference, called “Together We Can,” is different from most other student development programs because it does not focus on students who are excelling. Typically, he said, leadership programs are held to teach the school’s elected student leaders to be more effective in office.

But not this time.

“A lot of the kids are at risk, or are the really quiet kids who are never asked to participate,” Harcharik said. “We’re trying to get them involved in school.”

Nancy Scott-Hunnicutt, a motivational trainer from Sebastopol, broke the students into eight groups and led them in games during the morning--to help develop friendships and improve relationships, she said.

The students, who were nominated by teachers for the program, built castles out of playing cards and each group developed a short performance around the idea of “Together We Can.” Many created humorous songs; one was to the tune of “The Brady Bunch” theme song.

During the afternoon, the students were scheduled to stay in groups to discuss peer pressure, drugs, racism, sex, teen pregnancy and other issues, Scott-Hunnicutt said. Students were to develop a skit at the end of the day to show what they learned in these discussions, she said.

Fred Imiguez, 17, said he enjoyed meeting people outside his group of friends. “Usually at school you just see people pass by and you don’t say anything to them,” said Imiguez. “Most of the things I learned (at the conference) are about making friends.”

Imiguez, a 10th-grader, said he wants to improve his schoolwork and take part in more athletic programs. He now lifts weights at a community center and operates video cameras for “Living Room Dialogue,” a community cable television show broadcast in English and Spanish. Imiguez said he would like to find work in television broadcasting after he graduates.

Laleh Vakili, 17, another student in Imiguez’s group, agreed that the morning activities were a good opportunity to meet different types of students. Harcharik said he wants to create a school club for the students who took part in the workshop, so that they can continue to work together and help each other.

The workshop, held at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., was funded by a federal grant, Harcharik said.