This school year, the students of Linden High Schoolโs Chick-fil-A Leader Academyโข didnโt just talk about leadershipโthey lived it.
From launching literacy initiatives and mentoring elementary students during the โMillion Book Giveaway,โ to crafting care packages and hosting community drives, these young leaders embraced every opportunity to serve. Through hands-on projects, monthly leadership labs, and school-wide service events, they developed essential skills rooted in empathy, teamwork, and action.
โThe program teaches us that leadership isnโt just about being in chargeโitโs about making things better for someone else,โ said student leader Gabriela Wilczynski during a visit to School No. 9, where she read to third graders and left behind a lasting impression.
The Academyโs culminating eventโa high-energy Student vs. Staff charity basketball gameโwas the perfect finale. Organized entirely by the students, the game raised funds for the Gateway Family YMCA and united the entire school community in laughter, cheers, and Tiger spirit. The gym pulsed with excitement as teachers and students traded layups, jokes, and respect in equal measure.
This yearโs video, compiled by the districtโs media team, captures those powerful moments: the smiles of young readers, the passion behind service projects, the fun of competition, and the quiet leadership that grows with every challenge faced. From start to finish, the students of the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy embodied the programโs missionโto impact through action.
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐จ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐โ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก๐๐.