L.E.A.P. organizers and speakers (Courtesy photo)
Before Natick High School senior Shresta Chakilam and her teammates at GrowWithGuidance hosted their first L.E.A.P (Listen, Explore, Aspire, and Pursue) event this past weekend, they surveyed classmates about their top anxieties about their futures. Organizers then designed the event, held at the Natick Center Spiritual Center, to address students’ top concerns.
GrowWithGuidance, a student-led initiative, was “created to ease the stress and uncertainty many high school students feel while preparing for college and future careers.”
As you can see from the recording, the L.E.A.P. event was a success. The event featured a handful of speakers and breakout sessions so that students could interact with the guests and one another.
Keynote speaker Ashley Olafsen spoke of the rewards of being just plain nice to people, as she recounted her career path, which has taken her to Harvard Innovation Labs and currently vibe coding company Lovable. She also shared an anecdote about what can happen when you aren’t nice to people…
GrowWithGuidance’s Chakilam said afterward: “Something impactful for me was when I heard a student say, ‘I really am just confused about what to do’ and to see everyone’s hand raised when the question ‘Have you felt anxious about your future?’ was asked.”
Chakilam, who co-founded GrowWithGuidance with fellow Natick High student Ellie Olugemo, said she felt that students and parents received “tangible advice, reassurance, and actionable insights on navigating post-high school life” at L.E.A.P.
From the L.E.A.P. stage
In addition to Olafsen, speakers included:
- Kathleen Kehrer, a former college admissions officer at Boston College who is now a college advisor. She spoke in part about the importance of getting hands-on experience in the careers you might pursue.
- Juan Flechas-Beltran, a Tufts Provost Fellow who studies biomedical engineering and an Army officer. He spoke about comparing your past and future selves, and not comparing yourself to those around you.
- Carolina Miranda, an entrepreneur, spoke about the importance of mentors.
- Professor Juan Gnecco talked about his “non-traditional trajectory” from community college to MIT. This involved taking risks and not fearing failure. “The things that I still lose sleep over till this day… is that I didn’t apply to jobs, because I thought, ‘Why would I get that job?'”
We caught up with the GrowWithGuidance team at Natick Days, ahead of L.E.A.P.
NATI youth and the Natick 180 Coalition would like to thank Fannon’s Liquors, Dion’s, Natick Wine & Spirits, and Town Line Liquors for participating in this year’s campaign to reduce underage drinking. With these retailers’ support, NATI youth were able to place 1,500 stickers on alcohol merchandise throughout Natick. This campaign has been active in Natick for more than 10 years and each prom and graduation season it reminds community members not to provide alcohol to anyone underage or host parties where minors use alcohol.