Leadership Day Teaches Empathetic Listening

Every year when 10th- and 11th-graders take the PSAT, the ninth-grade class has the opportunity to gather for the Poly tradition called Leadership Day. In the past two years, Leadership Day has taken different forms accounting for online learning and safety precautions, but this year it was back in full swing with different workshops including pasta making, create-a-language, crocheting, pottery-making, and more. 

“We designed it as a way for students to experience a form of leadership by listening intently and authentically to someone empathetically,” said Ninth Grade Dean Nathan Stogdill. “To share someone's experience in a group in a meaningful and empathetic way is also a form of leadership.”

Active listening and community care were important facets of the day, concluding with every group tackling one action item drawing on their learning to benefit another group. For Maddie D. and Anastasia A.’s ’26 group, who taught musical theater, that meant contacting Pasadena Unified School District about the importance of arts education in schools and the value it adds to the quality of life for children. They each wrote an individual letter reflecting on their experience in the workshop and supporting the need to raise awareness about the benefits of arts education for all. Renée Larios finished out the day by connecting each group’s action items to community engagement giving students a tangible way to engage with leadership through empathy and listening.

“I chose to volunteer for Leadership Day because I felt it was a fantastic opportunity to invite my peers to share in a passion of mine and to advocate for a cause that I care deeply about,” said Maddie D. “It was rewarding to teach my classmates more about creative expression through performing, and the experience afforded us the opportunity to come together as classmates to bond and have fun.”