200+ leaders are working towards their goals to pave their paths.
From freshmen to post-secondary, Pave the Path is helping young leaders in Indiana reach their full potential.
Since 2018, this program has supported sophomores and older in their paths to leadership, bridging the gaps between the major high schools in Fort Wayne.
Starting in 2020, however, the program shifted a bit, going virtual and adding the Jumpstart program, which is designed to support freshmen in their goals. This was also the year when their student leader program, the Trailblazers, also got its intro unofficially.
Isaiah Clark is a Trailblazer within the program and has said that it is very inclusive; “it’s actually almost hard to seclude yourself within the group.”
While there are monthly meetings via Zoom, once a year, they meet for their big summit at PFW, where they work through problems, network with their peers, and develop themselves.
Jeff Roberts, the program leader, has been a teacher in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District for years and is one of the founders of the not-for-profit 4WARD. His previous experience in the education field and his work with the programs he runs now demonstrate his leadership.
He talks about how his goals for the program involve “Helping them develop their brand”, and he also talks about how to be a leader, you need to be sure of your sense of self.
The program utilizes the CliftonStrengths personality test and calls upon it a lot to further develop skills in a way that will help you. For Example, Mr. Roberts commonly mentions that he is a “Woo”, which can be described as a very social trait within the CliftonStrengths.
The Pave the Path program is overall a very student-focused program. It’s also a very open program, almost everyone has a personal (but still professional) relationship with Mr. Roberts that allows for open communication.
“As he said on one of his last meetings,” Isaiah said, “if you need if you need someone to look over a college application, they can.”
More Information on the program can be found at: https://www.believeinadream.com/pavethepath
