By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. Lincoln Elementary School in Great Bend already has a student council for its older students but that left out some of the younger grades. During Wednesday's USD 428 Board of Education luncheon at the school, Student and Family Advocate Jose Arias introduced several student ambassadors to the board.
"It's all about elevating our leadership as much as we can within our student body," Arias said. "We thought a good way to do that and give them the power to empower other students and the staff is nominating them as student ambassadors in the classroom on a weekly basis."
Students are nominated each Monday. The goal is that every student will have a turn at being an ambassador but the position must still be earned. All grades, K-6, have an ambassador. Fifth-grader Brady Karlin and Jaylan Brown, a newcomer to the sixth grade this year, explained what it takes to be an ambassador.
"Something you have to do to be an ambassador is be kind, respectful, responsible, and safe," Karlin said.
"I help with small errands around the classroom," Brown said. "I feel like to be a student ambassador, you must be a leader."
Kloie Schmidtberger added ambassadors must be patient. Mack Elsen said ambassadors should encourage classmates to do their best, and Jasper Ryff said being an ambassador is all about being respectful and behaving.