NFHS National Student Leadership Summit Provides Students Opportunities for Success

Involvement in high school sports and performing arts programs in our nation’s schools provides students many opportunities for future success. And one of those opportunities is front and center in Indianapolis this week with the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS).  

Beginning tomorrow through Sunday, 220 students from 34 states, Canada and Honduras – all of whom are involved in high school sports and activity programs in their respective schools – will participate in sessions aimed at developing their leadership skills and realizing the privilege and responsibility of being influential leaders in their schools and communities. 

The National Student Leadership Summit is one of the most valuable leadership development opportunities available to high school students involved in sports, fine arts/performing arts and other activity programs. The Summit brings together student leaders – all selected by their respective state high school associations – to develop leadership skills, exchange ideas, and prepare to make a positive impact in their schools and communities.

This year’s Summit marks the 25^th year since the NFHS held its first student leadership conference in 2001. The NFHS started the NSLS in 2015 after hosting the National Student Leadership Conference seven times (2001-03, 2007-10). As the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts, the NFHS Board of Directors and our member state associations believe it remains one of our key roles to help develop and nurture the leadership skills of high school students.

“The Summit helps students recognize that leadership is about service, character and courage—not titles or popularity – and they build lifelong friendships,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports, sanctioning and student services who has directed the student leadership conference since its inception. “Besides their interests in sports and fine arts, they quickly realize that, despite different backgrounds, they share many of the same hopes, challenges and dreams. Our work with the Special Olympians teaches them compassion and empathy. The largest takeaway is that they learn to embrace differences and feel prepared to go back home and make a meaningful difference in their community, state and country.”

 The student leaders involved in this year’s Summit will be able to interact with each other and hear key messages from experts in mental health, healthy relationships, communication, social media responsibility and leadership.  

Heading the list of expert speakers for the four breakout sessions are Omari Pearson, a former high school, college and professional athlete and founder of Passion to Purpose, LLC; Leslie Barnes, associate director of athletics for student-athlete development at Duke University; Cricket Lane, senior associate athletic director for student-athlete development at the University of North Carolina; Deb Hult, co-founder of Core Trainings and a nationally recognized presenter on relational and motivational leadership; and Khatdija Meghjani, a Dear World storyteller based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Opening General Session speaker is Molly Kennedy, a keynote speaker, author and former educator who specializes in resilience, authentic leadership, and building stronger human connections, and the Closing General Session speaker is Westley Morris, a renowned speaker, author and leadership coach who discusses overcoming adversity, leading with purpose and continuing to move forward no matter the obstacles.

In addition to providing opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, the NFHS believes it is just as important to hear from students and to understand their needs and desires regarding involvement in high school sports and other activity programs.

As a result, the NFHS National Student Advisory Council (NSAC) was started three years ago and this year’s group of 15 NSAC students will be highly involved in the NSLS, and will also be attending several meetings throughout the 2026 calendar year.

Following are the students selected for the 2026 NFHS National Student Advisory Council:

SECTION 1: Hayle Gomez Funez, Enfield (Connecticut) High School, class of 2028; Sam Dowd, Burr and Burton Academy, Manchester, Vermont, class of 2027.

SECTION 2: Erika Isphording, Athens High School, The Plains, Ohio, class of 2027.

SECTION 3: Cole Shuster, East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, class of 2028; Sydney Daniel, Lincoln Park Academy, Fort Pierce, Florida, class of 2027.

SECTION 4: Owen Anderson, Arcadia (Wisconsin) High School, class of 2028; Miriam Johnson, Francis W. Parker High School, Chicago, Illinois, class of 2027.

SECTION 5: Jude Tierney, Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, class of 2028; Evelyn Meyer, Filmore Central High School, Geneva, Nebraska, class of 2027.

SECTION 6: Anna Sayman, McKinney (Texas) North High School, class of 2028; Luke Boatman, Menaul School, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Class of 2027.

SECTION 7: Lucca Rubin, Brawley (California) High School, class of 2028; Trey Lundeen, Dayton (Nevada) High School, class of 2027.

SECTION 8: Coren Richardson, Wasilla (Alaska) High School, class of 2028; Kannon Walter, Ida B. Wells High School, Portland, Oregon, class of 2027.

Among the roles and responsibilities of the NSAC, the 15 students will:

• Determine and develop actions the Council will take to gather insight on the experiences of students in high schools from the states within each section;

• Identify and communicate areas of support that may be needed from the NFHS and state associations;

• Identify and communicate ideas for increasing student involvement in cocurricular activities, where needed.

“The NSAC exposes students to diverse perspectives, cultures and experiences,” Hopkins said. “They learn that listening, empathy and respect are essential leadership skills, and they experience education-based leadership. The NSAC reinforces the NFHS mission by demonstrating that athletics and activities are laboratories for learning life lessons such as teamwork, resilience, accountability, sportsmanship and servant leadership, which prepares them to return home ready to serve.”

While only a few of the 220 students attending the National Student Leadership Summit will probably pursue sports after high school, a very high percentage will utilize the skills, knowledge and values learned through education-based activity programs, as well as conferences like the NSLS, to become the next leaders of our nation in a variety of successful careers. We thank the individual high schools and state associations involved in making this opportunity for these students a reality.