By Chloe Oliver
Impact through action.
Making a senior citizen’s day by throwing a prom in a nursing home, letting them know they aren’t forgotten. Giving away children’s books to elementaries and reading the books to first graders. Stretching a chain of hope around the football field to help people with mental illnesses realize that they are seen.
Chick-fil-A Leaders Academy has been at Delta for nine years. Many high school student leaders come together to make an impact on their community.
This student-based club comes up with impact projects. An impact project happens at the end of the year where students take their learned leadership skills and work together to impact their community.
Their most recent impact project was last June when they organized the Malachi Wagon Run. This 5K run/walk was in honor of former Delta student Malachi Sherck, who passed away in December 2023. People came together during the Malachi Wagon Run to support the Sherck family.
“They reached out to that family that was going through a lot and said here’s a community that doesn’t just post a message on Facebook that says ‘we’re thinking about you,’ but actually gets out and does something about it,” Chick-fil-A Leaders Academy sponsor Tim Cleland said.
The $4,500 raised was used to launch a new red wagon at Riley Hospital for Children in Malachi’s honor. It is now being used to help transport patients at Riley.
Former Delta teacher Mrs. Pat Ervin first brought the program to Delta in coordination with local Chick-fil-A franchise owner Craig Sample. Cleland helped Ervin with sponsoring the club. After she moved to Fort Wayne for a new job, Cleland took over as the lead sponsor.
He hopes that this year the members of Chick-fil-A Leaders can come up with an impact project that fills a need of the community that hasn’t been done before. In the past, some ideas have been recycling old sports equipment, doing different kinds of drives, mental health awareness, vaping, and many others.
A few weeks before the end of the school year last year, students had an opportunity to apply to be a part of the club through a Google form. Freshmen in Chick-fil-A this year were nominated by other members of the group. The group has around 70 people after their first meetings in January and February.
Chick-fil-A Leaders does more than just impact projects. Aside from the impact projects, the members of the group participate in a “million book giveaway.” It is a national Chick-fil-A Leaders project that donates books to first graders. Delta’s CFA chapter gives away around 700 books per year to first graders at Eaton, Albany and Royerton elementaries. Around 35 CFA students signed up to go out and read these books to the first graders at their respective elementary schools.
Previously, Chick-fil-A Leaders have done an “Academic Student of the Month.” Elizabeth Bamidele, Destinee Drown, Phoebe Kennedy, Hunter Reed and Kaitlynn Burns are all students who have shown interest in reviving that project. It would honor 14 students a month for their academic achievements and hard work.
Finding a time to meet can be challenging. However, CFA meets at 7:30 am, on Monday mornings once a month. There is a lot of content that needs to be shared about each leadership topic. Meeting early in the morning helps cover everything.
In the past, many different teachers, including Mrs. Audrey Young and Mrs. Lauren Griffis, have helped Cleland with Chick-fil-A Leaders. This year, new certified clinical medical assistant teacher Mrs. Mindy Crawmer is helping. This is her first year being involved with this group.
“These are going to be the future leaders of the world, and these are the kids that we want to put out to be clear that they aren’t just followers,” Crawmer said. “The healthcare field needs leaders, people to stand up for their patients and to be involved in different things.”
Crawmer wants to make sure that these students are going in the right direction to become the leaders that they strive to be. She is eager to find out what their community efforts are going to be.
Senior James Root has been involved in Chick-fil-A Leaders for two years. Last year, he was a Chick-fil-A Leaders Ambassador. He’s been able to take his leadership skills that he’s learned to lead a number of different things. James says servant leadership skills are vital to have in all areas in life going forward.
“We need people that can step up and know the needs of the people that they’re working with and how to work with a team,” James said.
A moment that junior Jordan Bunch will remember from the impact projects is giving the feeling of validity to senior citizens at their prom at the Albany Health and Rehabilitation Center that Chick-fil-A held two years ago. The event made them feel like they matter.
For Jordan, being involved in Chick-fil-A Leaders helps her become a better leader not only in life, but in the pool and on the soccer field as well.
Junior Elizabeth Bamidele is hopeful to end the year strong with whatever the impact project is that they choose. She originally got involved with Chick-fil-A Leaders because her siblings did it in the past, but she started to see that it was more than just looking good on applications and resumes.
It’s more about developing the person you are to help others.
“I think we are blessed to have a very large number of students that want to do well and want to help others and have a heart for helping,” Cleland said.
