As incoming Student Council President at All Hallows High School in the Bronx, Brandon was asked to give opening remarks at the Foróige Leadership for Life Conference in Ireland, where the school has reconnected with their roots for a decade.
In the senior's second summer joining students from All Hallows at the conference, he is gaining the skills to lead his student body and to lead him to a successful future!
"Connecting with kids from all over the world really helped me view things from different perspectives and learn from them. Also, having the opportunity to give a speech in front of 300+ like-minded leaders was a really nice experience," Brandon said. "The lessons I learned from attending the program and advice I received from others are things that I would forever carry with me as this was an amazing experience for me."
The Foróige Leadership for Life Conference has been held at Maynooth University outside Dublin each year since 2009 as part of the Leadership Program of Foróige. Foróige is the leading youth organization in Ireland, with various programs run through clubs all across the nation.
Brandon was one of seven students from All Hallows who attended this year, as a group of students have since 2011, drawing on the Bronx school's Irish roots. Beyond the four-day conference, the All Hallows group also visited the town of Waterford, home to the first school founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, opened just over a century before the religious community opened All Hallows across the Atlantic in 1909.
"It’s a great way to connect our students, who are not predominantly Irish, with our school’s heritage. It’s also a really stellar conference," said Paul Michael Fontana, Director of Arts and Advocacy at All Hallows who accompanied the students. "For most of them, it’s the first time they’ve been to Europe. I think they go expecting not to have a lot in common with the Irish kids, but when they get there, they realize all problems are problems, communities are communities, families are families, and schools are schools."
Fontana said he's seen Brandon grow a lot in the two years he's attended the conference, and as this upcoming year's Student Council President, he was a natural choice when asked to nominate a student to make opening remarks.
"When we pick our kids, we pick kids are who are stepping into their role as leaders," Fontana said. "What’s great about Brandon is that he’s just joyful and he has this welcoming sense. He’s a good, happy person, and he brings that to whatever room he’s in."
With the skills he's learning at school, through SSP, and in opportunities like this conference, Brandon indeed has promise to go far. As he looks past his senior year, he plans to go to college and pursue a career in law.
"At the conference, we learned the importance of being standout leaders within our communities. There were lots of great keynote speakers who taught us plenty of lessons that are crucial for one's success. One being how to overcome personal bias in your life to become an open-minded leader," Brandon said. "Attending the conference definitely helped me develop traits that I would need to pursue a future career in law. Some of these traits are confidence, public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving."
Additionally, the trip provided Brandon and his peers a once-in-a-lifetime summer experience. "I left the conference with plenty of new friendships, knowledge surrounding how I can become a better person within my community and inspire others to do the same," he said. "But most importantly, I had a lot of fun being around other students who want to make a difference in the world."
