2025 NFHS National Student Leadership Summit

Part of summer vacation for four Minnesota State High School League students included a field trip to Indianapolis to participate in the National Student Leadership Summit held last month. 

The students, part of the League’s Student Advisory and Leadership Team (SALT) for the coming school year were among more than 200 students from 32 states, Canada and Honduras to attend the 16^th national conference sponsored by the National Federation of State High School Associations. 

Representing Minnesota at the four-day event were Annandale senior Isabelle Dingmann, Farmington senior Will Cannon, Frazee junior Katie Courneya and Blooming Prairie senior Madelyn Harvey. League Associate Director Charlie Campbell was one of 60 adult leaders who also attended the conference. 

The engaging, interactive student-centered event focused on contemporary and relevant issues that allowed students to tap into their leadership skills and understand the privilege and responsibility of their influence in their schools, communities and at the state level. 

Leadership topics during the conference included developing and maintaining healthy relationships with teammates, coaches, officials and other leaders. Two primary topics were mental health and inclusion. 

One group activity included a trip to Plainfield (Ind.) High School to participate in joint competitions with Unified Sports participants from the Indiana Special Olympics. 

The impact was immediate for the Minnesota delegation. 

“I just want you to know how impactful that trip was to Madelyn,” Blooming Prairie Activities Director Ali Mach shared with Campbell via text. “She was in my office right away on Monday morning to tell me about it. We’ve met twice since to plan leadership events for our kids. She’s so excited, empowered and confident. It’s incredible. She wants to do more of this when she goes to college! Thank you for investing in students in this capacity. It makes a difference. You have made a difference.”

Cannon, Courneya and Dingmann shared their NSLS experiences with the League. 

The League celebrates these student leaders for their commitment and dedication to leading in their schools, communities and at the state association level.

Will Cannon, Farmington High School, Senior

While preparing for the NSLS, I was mostly thinking about who I would meet and what I would learn. I was excited to see many new people from all around the country, and very excited to hear what the keynote speakers had to teach us. 

I learned a lot about the differences between my school, city, and state and other places. It was an eye-opening experience that made me see what problems other schools have that I don't. I also loved listening to everyone's different accents (Baltimore is my personal favorite)!

I learned that I love to listen to what other people have to say before I feel like I can act in a way that helps them succeed. I really like getting to know someone well so that I can try to support them in their endeavors.

I will take inspiration from many of the activities and the vibe of the NSAC members and staff for our state student leadership conference. Lessons such as the power of social media, how to be a leader by being a friend, how to encourage others to succeed, and working with many very different people from yourself will all be valuable in my life as well as in my professional endeavors.

Katie Courneya, Frazee High School, Senior 

I was so excited to meet new people with the same goal as me in mind, to help make a difference in our states. I was also a little nervous because I had never traveled to this extent, but I was excited to be able to step outside my comfort zone. 

It was incredible to be able to share this experience with so many wonderful people. It helped challenge me to become even better. I know I have a lot of responsibility with all the opportunities I have like SALT and hopefully, eventually NSAC, so being able to grow my skills and bring back ideas like starting a Unified Sports team in my school was very special. 

I found that I am not overly vocal. I like to sit back and soak in all the information, and then once in a while, offer my two cents when I have something powerful and important to say. I discovered that I am more of a service leader, that I want to help others be the best they can be even if it means I am not out front and center leading others around me. 

The biggest one impact was that I would love to start a Unified Sports program in my school, but I also found a lot of value in the speaker that we listened to and interacted with so being able to recommend them for our Minnesota conferences that will be shared with all the local leaders around our state is something I am excited to share.

Thank you to the Minnesota State High School League for this incredible experience. It is something I will never forget!

Isabelle Dingmann, Annandale High School, Senior

I was feeling mostly excited to attend, but still a little nervous. I was nervous at first because I was a little uncertain how all of the students would get along. However, once I thought about it, I realized that the students selected to go were very similar to me, meaning that talking, getting along, and making new friends would not be an issue.

It was an absolute honor to join more than 200 other passionate high school students to all grow together in our leadership skills. We were told over and over that we had been chosen to attend the event because someone in our respective states saw the potential that we all had to become great leaders, which motivated me to take in the opportunity and soak up as much information as I possibly could so that I could then take it back to my state organization and my school.

I learned that it is OK to take charge when no one else will. Leaders are the individuals who must improvise and take risks to push themselves and the groups they are in charge of to improve their situation and reach the set goal. I also learned that a good leader is an empathetic one. Even though a leader must speak, it is equally important for them to listen because they need to know what is or is not going well, so they can take what they know themselves, along with input from others, to assess and fix any situation that may come their way.

I will emphasize the importance of listening. In such a busy world, people are so concerned about getting their point across that they take no time to stop and listen to what other people are thinking, and when that is done, no one can empathize with anyone because they are too focused on themselves. When people listen, they can grasp a better understanding of someone else’s point of view, and even if they do not agree, they can still somewhat understand where the other person is coming from to create a more inclusive and safer environment.

Madelyn Harvey, Blooming Prairie High School, Senior

This experience taught me more about leadership, perspective, and the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone than any classroom ever could. I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to participate in an event this incredible. Initially, going into the National Student Leadership Summit, I had no idea what to expect. I had heard good things from my peers who had previously attended, so overall I was very excited. However, I had some underlying nerves and hesitation as well. 

Looking back, I had no reason to be anxious at all. As soon as I stepped foot into our first meeting there, the vibes were so welcoming and uplifting. The people I met made this summit all the better. From our advisors to the staff, to my own Minnesota SALT peers, to the speakers, and of course, to all the wonderful new friends I met while there, everyone made the experience impactful. The overwhelming sense of belonging I felt while I was there was truly a feeling that I am grateful to have experienced. I’ve never been in a space where so many like-minded, but also different people were in the same room. I cannot fully express how many amazing people I met. Getting to learn about other people’s lives really shaped my perspective on how everyone’s individual leadership is crucial in developing a successful future. Just hearing simple new ideas that someone else was doing in their area inspired me even more to keep working on and spreading my leadership back home.

I learned a lot about myself as a leader through this summit. A lot of this learning was because of the incredible variety of amazing speakers they brought in to work with us. These speakers consisted of doctors, coaches, professors, athletes, and even a magician. A speaker whose message really hit home with me was Deb Hult. She is an inspiring person with such a resilient story. Deb talks about how to create a good vibe around you, and how the vibe you give off can easily affect your effectiveness as a leader. She also talked about how it’s OK to stand out and to be different. Both messages are always things that I needed to hear and be reminded of. I consider myself a vocal leader as well as being able to step down vocally and lead by example. I strive to be inclusive and to bring as many people together as possible. This summit further instilled in me how important inclusivity is and how much more we can accomplish together vs. being apart. 

As I prepare for my senior year, I really want to push more than ever to share what I’ve learned about leadership with others. I have already talked to my school’s athletic director about implementing many things I took away from the National Summit at our school. One of these ideas being, starting a united sports club where certain days of the week all students could participate in various athletic events. While attending the summit one of our sessions was to go learn about and play with individuals from some united sports teams. Doing that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to be a part of, and I’d love to help bring that experience to my school. Another big thing I learned while at the summit was to ALWAYS HAVE AN OPEN MINDSET. Through all the activities we did they reminded us of this, and I genuinely think that reminder helped me absorb as much of the experience as I possibly could. 

Wrapping up, The National Student Leadership Summit was a lifetime opportunity for me. It forever shaped my perspective on life and taught me so much I can use going forward. It gave me so many new experiences and so many great friends. I would one hundred percent recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to go. I will forever be grateful for this experience.