The students in Osbourn High School’s Leadership Class dedicate an incredible amount of time, effort, and creativity when organizing major school events such as homecoming and prom. From selecting the perfect theme and designing eye-catching decorations to coordinating music, ticket sales, and catering, every step of the planning process is both exciting and demanding. Because each student who is in Leadership brings different ideas, opinions, and perspectives to the table, teamwork, patience, and strong communication are absolutely essential to make it work. Leadership students work together to overcome challenges, solve problems, and ensure that every detail is handled with care. Their dedication and collaboration help create unforgettable experiences that bring the entire school community together and make every event truly special.
One of the things the leadership class does is homecoming planning. Homecoming is really exciting, but it takes a lot of teamwork. For example, Mr. Whitley, one of the leadership teachers, said, “Students get a lot of useful skills planning homecoming. This is a major project; they have to plan the dance, the spirit week, the lunchtime events, and the decorations. They need to learn to work together, communicate, plan advertise. There is a lot of work that goes into planning homecoming.”
That’s one of the teacher’s perspectives on homecoming. Kaleb Dumanal, a senior at Osbourn High School, added his opinion about planning homecoming. Kaleb said, “ The most rewarding aspect of being able to plan an event like this is being able to be creative and make the event cool.” Kaleb’s perspective is that he thinks planning homecoming is a nice thing because he and his classmates get to be creative, so homecoming gets to be a cool experience for everyone.
Events at Osbourn stand out from others because students play a major role in shaping them. Through voting and sharing their opinions, everyone has a voice in deciding themes, activities, and other key details, ensuring the events reflect the interests of the student body. “We had a record number of students vote on the theme. We also have twice as many guests. And homecoming court nominations were higher than last year as well,” said Mr. Whitley, a leadership teacher. The leadership students take these ideas seriously and into consideration, working hard to bring them to life in creative and meaningful ways. By listening to feedback and focusing on inclusivity, they make sure each event offers a unique experience that every student can enjoy and connect with. “I’m always most proud of my students, which is cliché for a teacher to say, but it’s true. Our SCA/leadership students have come up with great ideas and are really passionate about making a great dance,” said Ms. Nelson, a leadership teacher.
This year’s homecoming being successful directly reflects the strong teamwork within the leadership class. Every student played a part, contributing their ideas, time, and creativity to make the event special. Collaboration allowed them to overcome challenges, stay organized, and bring their shared vision to life. The success of the event shows how working together can turn a big goal into an unforgettable experience for everyone. “This year’s homecoming seems to be the best one due to the number of people talking about it,” said junior Edgar Ortiz.
Effective event planning requires a combination of organization, communication, and flexibility. Setting clear goals and timelines helps keep everything on track, while assigning specific roles ensures that each aspect of the event receives the attention it needs. “One strategy used to make it more organized was breaking into smaller groups and taking individual tasks to get everything done faster,” said senior Kaleb Dumanal.
Regular check-ins and open discussions allow everyone to share updates and adjust plans as needed, creating a collaborative environment where ideas can grow. Staying adaptable and proactive when challenges arise is also key to keeping the process smooth and efficient. Overall, thoughtful planning and teamwork lay the foundation for a successful and well-executed event.
Planning homecoming in leadership class can be exciting, but it also comes with a few challenges. Mr. Whitley’s view on the challenges of planning homecoming is “the biggest challenge is that, no matter what theme we pick, someone is not going to be happy about it. One way we try it is to remind everyone that the theme is really for decorative purposes. The students are the ones who bring the fun and excitement to the dance. When they are hyped, the dance is amazing,” said Mr. Whitley. From the students’ perspective, the challenges of planning homecoming are “ We faced challenges with the school schedule and how we overcame it by doing it the next day,” said Joshua Jala-Quinto, a junior at Osbourn High School.
Another challenge that comes with planning an event is the perspective of a student. “One of the major challenges was the lack of posters, but we just told the students to make more posters.” Even some challenges have solutions. Ms. Nelson, a leadership teacher, said, “ The biggest challenge is student engagement in school events. Last year, we only had roughly 400 students come to homecoming out of a school of roughly 2300 students. We even went around to other schools, and other schools are copying our homecoming theme from last year because of how great our students advertised, ran their social media, and how many of our students hyped up the dance to other schools, but only 400 students attended. And homecoming is the biggest fundraiser for leadership.” Along with that, she said, “An attitude of apathy is something we need to work on; a lot of students don’t see the point in going to school events. All of the different school events are fundraisers; each event will allow students to participate in fun activities in each class, even the seniors.”
Through these experiences, the students in the leadership class gain valuable skills that extend far beyond the classroom. They learn responsibility, organization, and the importance of working toward a common goal. Each event they plan not only strengthens their leadership abilities but also builds lasting friendships and school spirit. Their hard work and dedication leave a positive impact on Osbourn High School, inspiring future students to lead with creativity and commitment.
