Story and photo by John Reese
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs
Stuttgart High School junior Carter Hanes was one of ten students to attend a special Military Child Education Coalition leadership week at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Oct. 22–26.
Hanes was selected to be part of the 2018/2019 class of the Frances Hesselbein Student Leadership Program. Participants were announced Oct. 1.
“Carter Hanes has been with me now at SHS for three years,” said Monica Juergens, school counselor and S2S sponsor. “He’s a wonderful leader, developing his skills and he’s involved in many activities. He’s a great kid for our student ambassadors.”
Juergens said Hanes knows the S2S program well and reaches out to students to help them acclimate to life in Germany and Stuttgart, even before they arrive at SHS.
“He’s here in the summer, sometimes, to help new students acclimate,” Juergens said. “He’s been a real role model for our younger students in the program.”
Hanes returned with newly acquired skills to improve the SHS “Student 2 Student” program. He spent the week meeting with influential leaders, sharing ideas and challenges of the program, and participating in team-building activities led by West Point faculty, cadets and the MCEC student programs team.
“I got into this program through a recommendation by my brother. He said it was a great program that would really help develop my leadership skills and communications with others,” Hanes said.
Hanes is a SHS JROTC second lieutenant and company executive officer, so the trip to West Point was a natural fit.
“I’m really excited for this program,” Hanes said. “I think it’s going to develop my skills even more and make me a better leader than I already am.”
With more than 200 active S2S programs globally, being selected was an honor for the participants, SHS and the Department of Defense Education Activity. This year’s student leader team were sophomores or juniors active in the S2S programs in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Utah, Belgium and Germany.
S2S is based on five core values: leadership, academics, service, finding the way, and relationships. The program was designed with the military child in mind.
