Students “Get Motivated” at conference

By: Kenzie N

On Thursday, Sept. 17, nineteen students from Valley, including student council members, class officers, and business students, got an opportunity of a lifetime. The ambitious students, and one daring chaperone, Mr. Kent Bonte, got up bright and early Thursday morning and departed from the school at 4:30 am. They headed to Des Moines to take part in a conference entitled Get Motivated. This conference was an action-packed, exciting, skill-building business event, world famous for it’s superstar speakers.

            The conference was designed to be inspirational, insightful, and motivational. CNN, 60 Minutes, USA Today, TIME, PEOPLE, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal all rave about it. Students got the opportunity to listen to General Colin Powel and former first lady Laura Bush among others.

The group arrived at Wells Fargo Arena at 8:30 am after their four-hour early bird bus journey. They found the enormous stadium packed to the ceiling with people ranging from adults to students. The energy was intense and the speakers were even more energetic with their inspirational messages. Although the students were stuck in the “nose-bleed” section, it didn’t stop them from getting the full experience. General Powel spoke on the importance and dedication of leadership. He had a witty personality and enjoyable sense of humor that kept everyone interested. Former first lady, Laura Bush, was the special guest speaker. She spoke about her family and how she and former President George W. Bush spend their days after the presidency.

Many of the individuals said it was a surreal experience to be amongst such powerful and important people. It was definitely an event that will stay with the students for a long time to come. The busload arrived back at the school around 4:30 pm, approximately twelve hours after they departed. They walked off the bus with groggy steps and heavy eyes, but minds full of inspiration and determination after a long and exciting day in Des Moines.