High school leadership contributes to alumni college paths

photo courtesy of Thomas Lubben TKA alumnus Thomas Lubben runs for president of Student Government Association at Mercer University. Weston Summers ran alongside him as vice president.

For several of The King’s Academy alumni, Student Leadership Council presidency helped prepare them for a full and vibrant college leadership experience. Leadership skills taught at TKA have contributed to opportunities, experiences and leadership roles that have opened up in college and in their careers after. 

“I would say that [The King’s Academy] prepared me very well to be able to understand and to communicate with people,” 2023 TKA alumni and former president Thomas Lubben said. “There's leadership, and there's effective leadership, and I learned a lot in high school about how certain leaders do well and certain leaders don't. A lot of it comes down to the fact of how good their relationships are with the people they're working under or working with.”

According to Lubben, the biggest difference between leadership roles in high school and college is the scope of what has to be accomplished. This past year, he ran for president of Student Government Association at Mercer University. Although he didn’t win, the university dean talked to Lubben about getting involved and serving in other leadership positions.

“I'm very glad that I did run, even though I lost,” Lubben said. “I would say that there's some places in life and times in life where it's better to go and fight for something and lose, than to not fight at all. I think this was definitely one of those instances where I'm more at peace now, then I think I'd be if I'd never ran.”

2017 TKA alumni and former president Matthew Carroll has shown his leadership skills by organizing and leading a team of over 400 students for a homecoming campaign, instructing tennis and pickleball for a large range of ages, serving on leadership teams sponsored by Auburn University and more. He shares that the number one thing his Student Leadership Council presidency taught him was how to consider the needs of a large group of people.

“In college, as far as emailing professors, if you need something when writing essays 

for required classes or in your job later on, no matter what role you are working in, you will always have to be able to effectively write and be able to send professional emails to managers, superiors and people who are beneath you eventually,” Carroll said. “I'm very grateful that King’s taught me how to write effectively.”

2022 TKA alumni and former school president Chandler Payne, observed that in college, it is much harder to find support naturally from advisors and classmates. Payne is currently at Georgia Tech University and is planning on going to law school after he graduates. He is involved in many different leadership roles, two of which are leading Bible studies on campus and being part of the executive board for the university wakeboarding club. He is hoping to work with administrations of other colleges to start up wakeboarding clubs on other campuses.

“I think my role as a TKA president was super informative,” Payne said. “It taught me a lot about different leadership opportunities. The different ways that I can help leaders, even as I go into college, is probably one of the biggest things for me because I saw the things that are beneficial to a leader.” 

Payne’s comfort in leadership positions at TKA has aided him in branching out in college. Past experience with TKA leadership gave him a leg-up in college due to his time being a leader in high school.

“I wasn't going to jump into a super high leadership role right away, and so I found ways that I could be a good assistant, a good follower and a good helper,” Payne said. “I think being able to see everything that goes on from the presidential standpoint of Student Council really helped me to see how I could help other people that are in similar positions in college.”

TKA developed and gave a behind the scenes perspective of Student Council during alumni’s time in high school.

“My number one goal in leadership right now is definitely to live a life that reflects God to other people,” Lubben said.