Twenty-two LHS Key Club (KC) members attended the Leadership Training Conference (LTC) in Albany, New York, from March 15 to March 17. Junior and KC member Justin Haberman explained, “[LTC] is a district conference where all 27 [Key Club] divisions in New York meet to build character and leadership skills by going to different workshops and learning new things.” Sophomore and KC board representative Aidan Pearsall added, “This conference is held every year in Albany and allows us to reflect upon New York Key Clubs across the state.”
The weekend began bright and early on Saturday at 4:30 a.m. Because Class Night was the day prior, students embarked on the three-hour drive to the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Albany on Saturday morning rather than on Friday. KC Secretary Jessica Strohofer, Social Media Manager Katy Gottlieb, and club advisor Dr. Benedict Tieniber, however, left on Friday in preparation for Strohofer’s entrance as the newly-appointed Division 7 Lieutenant Governor and for Gottlieb to deliver her District Treasurer election speech.
Upon arrival, Strohofer and Gottlieb registered, were given their room keys, and got ready for the evening. After dinner, the opening session began in the King Street Ballroom and was followed by Playfair, where KC members could meet each other, make new friends, and exchange contact information. The students participated in a series of icebreakers, including Q&As, which allowed key clubbers from all over the state to cultivate connections and relationships based on different prompts. After Playfair, Gottlieb gave her first speech for the District Treasurer election, and Strohofer attended the K-Family service projects.
After the rest of the students arrived the next morning, everyone had breakfast and then attended the general session, where awards and recognition were presented. LHS’s Key Club won the following awards: “Most Funds Raised” and “Largest Single Project” for excellence in fundraising; the district project fundraising award, “Kamp Kiwanis;” the service hour per member award for having 101 hours per member; and third place in the major emphasis award for distinguished club–diamond level. LHS KC President Dea Pulatani received the “Distinguished Club President” award, and Vice President Kiera Colon received the “Distinguished Club Vice President” award.
Tieniber expressed, “[O]ur members work very hard throughout the year. I feel like the awards at times reconfirm how much they have done during the year. I am incredibly proud of this club.” Haberman said, “It felt great to win the awards because it shows that even though we are a smaller school, we can still compete with the city schools, and it is very nice to see everyone’s hard work being rewarded.” KC Treasurer and sophomore Luke Pignataro agreed and added, “It felt good to shock everyone that we won all the awards. I am so proud of my fellow board members and [my] work.” The LHS Key Club was even featured in the photo slideshow at all of the award sessions, showcasing the many events its members organized and took part in this year.
After the general session, the majority of the day consisted of informational workshops. The students attended four workshops, with a break for lunch and the keynote session in between, followed by two more workshops and the House of Delegates convention before dinner. Some of the workshops included the following: how to be successful at each Key Club board position, rèsumè building, multilingualism, writing strong essays, managing money, mental well-being for personal growth, networking, problem solving, kickstarting your college career, journaling, managing stress and procrastination, public speaking, and etiquette. Haberman remarked,“My favorite workshop was Key Club Jeopardy because I learned so much about Key Club and its history.” Pearsall shared, “The sing-along was definitely a fun experience. I loved singing with people from all across the state.” Tieniber added, “My favorite workshop for the students was the rèsumè building [one]. Everyone needs a rèsumè, but not everyone has one. This helped instill [that] rèsumès are needed.”
During free time, KC members bought sweatshirts and title stickers like “Princess” and “VIP” for their ID lanyards. After dinner, a session was dedicated to saluting the divisions and other clubs for their efforts and dedication to service. Following this session was the Governor’s Ball, at which key clubbers throughout New York socialized and danced the night away. After the event ended at 11 p.m., members played piano and hung out with their new friends and fellow club members to culminate the trip.
Sunday morning marked the end of the conference. The final workshop was followed by the closing session, where the district governor, lieutenant governors, and other KC officials retired as the 2023-24 service year came to an end; then, the new officials were sworn in, and among them was LHS’s Jessica Strohofer for Division 7 Lieutenant Governor. Then, the bus departed from the Crowne Desmond Hotel and headed back home.
The ride home gave KC members an opportunity to reflect and look back at their time at LTC. Tieniber remarked, “My favorite part is watching the Lynbrook Key Club network with other Key Clubs from New York. On top of this, one of my favorite memories was Lynbrook having one of their own be chosen as Division 7 LTG. I can’t wait to see what our new board does for the 24-25 service year.” Junior Kate Santoli related, “The best part of the trip was talking and having fun with the other LHS students who attended the trip. We all attended workshops together, ate together, and hung out at events like the Governor’s Ball and Playfair. Furthermore, I made so many memories on this trip. I loved learning new things during the workshops, but the best memories were when we spent time with other students and met new people.” Pignataro recalled, “My favorite part was ordering 15 Chipotle bowls Saturday night after the Governor’s Ball. Talking and eating all together really brought our board together.”
Ultimately, the experience was one that Key Club members will remember. Many friends were made, laughs were shared, and a sense of pride and accomplishment was felt by the end of the weekend. “It was a great conference. Our key clubbers were recognized for their service over the 23-24 service year. Additionally, they developed leadership skills, bonded, and created memories for a lifetime,” said Tieniber.
