Warrior Leadership Committee members at Wawasee High School serving the community through a coat and blanket drive include, in front from left, assistant principal Mike Schmidt, Stephanie Camargo, Alexis Blunk, Jacquelynn Mishler, Shelby Swartz, Anne Beer, Emily Harden, Elizabeth Jackson and Natalie Fritz. In the middle row are Brian Clark, Ronald Vardaman, Brett Ward, Aaron Becker, Christopher Oesch, Colfax Cannaday and Isaac Rigdon. In the back row are Chad Eppley, BJ McBride, Gage Reinhard and Steve Wiktorowski, athletic director. Not pictured is Kody Carpenter. (Photo by Tim Ashley)

A typical stereotype of a high school-aged child, sometimes not warranted, is they are self-centered and only concerned about their own needs. A committee of Wawasee High School students, though, seeks to show they really do care about the communities they live in.

“The whole basis for this is we really do care about the community and we want to show we care,” said Aaron Becker, WHS student, about the Warrior Leadership Committee he is a part of.

The Warrior Leadership Committee was formed near the end of the previous academic year. Mike Schmidt, assistant principal, chose a group of 10 students who then attended the Chick-fil-A Leadercast in May, a convocation encouraging the development of leadership qualities.

Since then the committee has been expanded to include 22 students to “honor and serve the community.” It is open to WHS students in any grade and regardless of whether they are an athlete or not or are already involved in another club or organization. The goal is to bring together a diverse group of students to serve.

The committee’s first major project is a holiday coat and blanket drive. Gently used coats and blankets are being collected at each of the school buildings in the Wawasee Community School Corp.

During the high school’s Veterans Day program Nov. 12 the drive was announced to the rest of the student body. “This is our first project with the leadership committee and students are feeling their way through the process,” Schmidt said. “They have really taken on some great leadership roles.”

Coats and blankets will be collected and then distributed to those in need, regardless of age, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, in the annex gym of WHS. The Shopko store (formerly Pamida) in Syracuse is another drop off site for coats and blankets.

More service projects will be planned by the committee later. For more information about the coat and blanket drive, contact Schmidt at (574) 457-3147.