Leading the Way - February 12, 2026

Leading Moments From Across the District

The Inaugural Brigadier Charles Young Student Leadership Summit was a HUGE Success

Proud. Inspired. Energized: 'A One-of-a-kind experience for students!'

Last Friday, the Indian Hill Entrepreneurs’ Center in partnership with the Brigadier General Charles Young Foundation, hosted the first-ever "Brigadier General Charles Young Student Leadership Summit," and the impact was nothing short of extraordinary.

More than 115 high school students from 12 school districts across Southwest Ohio came together for a day intentionally designed to feel like a professional leadership conference. Six months in the making, this summit challenged students to think bigger about who they are, who they can become, and the impact they can have on others.

Throughout the day, students explored the powerful life and legacy of Brigadier General Charles Young, engaged with leaders from a wide range of professional fields, built authentic connections with peers from across the region and participated in dynamic breakout sessions led by national guest speakers, community IHEC partners, Indian Hill students, and staff. We closed the experience hearing directly from a few of our incredible HS Student Leadership Team Members (Jane Holbrook, Ben Sichel, Mia Sulfsted and Devlan Daniel) who shared their personal leadership journey with our guests!

What made the day even more meaningful was the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our speakers, who shared real-life lessons around leadership, culture, character, grit, and the importance of developing positive habits. They were thrilled to be surrounded by so many young people and shared their enthusiasm and excitement regarding the potential of young people!

Their stories and insights resonated deeply with students and reinforced that leadership is not a title, it is a commitment to action, continuous improvement and believing in others.

Often times the words 'Thank You' are simply not enough, but I am so grateful to plethora of people that made this event possible. Thank You to all of the schools that made the trip (despite the snow) and helped to expose their students to this incredible leadership event! Upon reading the feedback it was clear that all left the summit inspired, energized and reflecting deeply about the capacity inside all of us!

This is just the beginning!

Betting on Yourself and the Power of Entrepreneurship

Last week, facilitated by members of the HS Student Leadership Team and IHExp Student Advisory Board, a group of 8th graders had the opportunity to take part in their first "Career Connectors: Guest Speaker," event as they invited Mr. Frank DeJulius; owner of Fleet Feet to Indian Hill Middle School!

As shared by Class of 2026 Senior, IHExp Student Advisory Board Member and Facilitator of this event, Gea Eshleman, "What began as emails, meetings, and surveys came to fruition this past Monday. Based on high student interest in the field of business and entrepreneurship, we reached out to Fleet Feet Cincinnati owner Frank DeJulius to come and speak with our 8th graders. For the 17 students who showed up, his story proved incredibly engaging, their countless questions showed a level of professionalism comparable to our high school Experienceships students. Seeing their enthusiasm and curiosity was incredibly rewarding to both me and Jane Holbrook, my Advisory Board partner on the Middle School Connections team."

This is a great example of empowering students to find their passion, identify their skills and lead their own efforts! I'm very proud of both of these amazing young ladies and grateful to our IHMS Admin Team who were 'all-in!'

Stay tuned for the next "IHMS Career Connectors: Guest Speaker" Series Event!

Relationships Always Drive Success: A Lesson from the World of Finance

Our latest IHExperienceships Professonal Site Visit earlier this week took us to Morgan Stanley. It was an incredible deep dive into the world of work and the area of finance. Our students didn't just walk the halls; they walked through the history of banking and the stock market, explored diverse career paths, and even stepped into the shoes of analysts for a stock pitching exercise.

The biggest takeaway? Finance is a relationship business. While the numbers matter, the team emphasized that the foundation of a successful career, especially in financial advising, is the ability to build and maintain genuine trust.

A few "golden rules" that were reiterated throughout the day:

1. Communication is King: It’s the single most important skill. As the team put it: "If you can’t explain it simply and clearly, you’ll never gain someone’s trust." This skill transcends the classroom and is one that grows with every interaction you have. Staff shared some of their earlier 'jobs' and stressed how they learned skills at each stop on their professional journey, most who were not originally headed towards the world of finance.

2. Listen to Understand: Don’t just listen to respond. Strong relationships are built on making the other person feel truly heard. Along this line, our kids were encouraged to find a mentor to lean on, practice with and share their questions with, even if that's a friend's family.

3. The "Pro" Mindset: Success is driven by initiative, curiosity, and extreme ownership. Being a learner, being adaptable, not taking things personal, staying patient, embracing change and creating good habits were key points shared that the best have and most do not.

4. The Fundamentals: Never underestimate the power of a timely follow-up, airtight organization, and—most importantly—controlling your attitude.

Thank you, Ed and team, for investing your time and expertise into the next generation of leaders. You’ve shown our students that while the market moves on data, the industry thrives on human connection.

Jeff Damadeo, Director of K-12 Leadership & Career Development

Jeff.Damadeo@ihsd.us

Twitter: @indianhillEC

My #IHPromise - to work tirelessly for our students, providing them with the most exceptional educational opportunities & experiences to help ensure that they develop into outstanding academic students and future ready individuals!