Congratulations to the 36 students from Independence High School who graduated on Monday, November 17 from The Dale Carnegie Course: Skills for Success. This year, the celebration was at Council Chambers at City Hall. The course was held eight consecutive Monday nights. There have been 345 total participants in the program since its inception in 2011 (2020 was a pass year due to the pandemic).
The students worked on improving their skill sets in communication, managing stress, leadership, social skills, and confidence levels. They were able to improve their public speaking skills in front of a crowd, get a better handle on college interviews and handle tough situations more effectively. The Dale Carnegie tools helped students put worry and stress into perspective. Students gained the ability to lead others down a more positive path or lead a team or club more effectively as well as learned to build relationships in person rather than on a device.
Participating students included: Brooke Balser, Gianna Carlucci, Brooke Coldsnow, Lauren Dalrymple, Matthew Dubitsky, Emily Gibbons, Rebecca Gibson, Elyse Grill, Owen Jenks, Anna Jirmasek, Matthew Jirmasek, Samantha Kandzer, Paul Kundmueller, Matthew Liepert, Gianna Londrico, Nathan Lu, Tate McGovern, Gracie Mindzora, Thomas Misso, Stephen Mlynarczyk, Madelyn Mudra, Kayla Newcomer, Nora Olexa, Brooke Patton, Joshua Peters, Sofia Pichert, Steven Polasko, Tatiana Randjelovic, Liam Rienerth, Matthew Shamblen, Mae Sheehan, Anthony Sobonya, Brooke Vollman, Grady Wachs, Alexander Waski, and Haley Wilson.
“We truly value our partnership with the City of Independence and INDYAlive! in bringing the Skills for Success course to our students this year,” said Independence High School Principal Mike Janatovich. “Over the past eight weeks, our students have grown tremendously, gaining practical life skills that will serve them well long into the future.”
The course is co-sponsored by Independence Local Schools and INDYAlive! via the City of Independence.
“I have had the pleasure of working with senior students at Independence High School over the past several years during the Dale Carnegie Skills for Success Program,” said Jeanne Wiedt, Area Manager and Certified Trainer, Dale Carnegie Training of Northeast Ohio. “They entered session one as students and left session eight as leaders. They amazed me with their willingness to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the challenges put in front of them, whether it be engaging in conversation with people, taking the lead on a project, managing their attitude, presenting and selling their ideas, or communicating clearly and with impact.”