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Strake Jesuit Students Attend West Houston Teen Leadership Summit

By Kevin McKenna, Strake Jesuit, School Buzz Sports Reporter | March 5, 2020

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Congressman Jim Murphy is pictured with conference attendees. Fourteen high schools were represented including Murphy’s alma mater, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, in addition to Bellaire High School, The Briarwood School, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Houston Christian High School, Lamar High School, Memorial High School, Second Baptist School, St. Agnes Academy, St. John’s School, The Village School, Westchester Academy and Westside High School.

On Feb. 22 at CityCentre, Texas Congressman and Strake Jesuit alumni Jim Murphy hosted the West Houston Teen Leadership Summit for high school sophomores and juniors. Throughout the day, more than 200 students were given the opportunity to engage in workshops, learn how to network and develop leadership traits.

The leadership summit featured four panels during which guest speakers spoke on topics such as economics, politics and leadership. Among the speakers were Chase Untermeyer (former United States ambassador to Qatar), Melissa Wilson (anchor for FOX 26 Morning News), Steve Munisteri (former chair of the Republican Party of Texas), Lillie Schechter (Harris County Democratic Party chair) and Rania Mankarious (CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston).

Strake Jesuit students in attendance (pictured from left) included John Strock, Jack Shanklin, Jonny Stein, Henry Fusilier, Alex Frugoni, Anthony Kim and Austen Furse.

This marked the fourth time since 2014 that he has hosted the event. Fourteen high schools in the Greater Houston area were represented including Murphy’s alma mater, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. Other schools in attendance were Bellaire High School, The Briarwood School, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Houston Christian High School, Lamar High School, Memorial High School, Second Baptist School, St. Agnes Academy, St. John’s School, The Village School, Westchester Academy and Westside High School.

Students also participated in two workshops, with choices including Business Etiquette/How to Network, How to Pay for College, Politics in the 21st Century as well as Careers in the New Economy. After attending the careers-focused workshop, Strake Jesuit student Jonny Stein stated, “It was a great experience learning about how many career opportunities there will be for us down the road.”

A picture of the conference room where the panels were held.

Overall, the event was viewed as a success in both the eyes of the attendees and Jim Murphy himself. The congressman remarked, “The goal of the Teen Leadership Summit is to inspire and inform the youth in our community so they can engage in leadership roles starting now.”

Participants appreciated the event and its focus on leadership development. Strake Jesuit student Henry Fusilier said, “I definitely learned some valuable leadership skills that I will try to apply to my everyday life. I am really pleased Congressman Murphy decided to host this event for all of us.”