Conroe ISD: Student Story

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Our students report and write wonderful stories about the great things happening on their campuses, and we want to spread the good news! The Communications Office coordinates with secondary campuses to cover stories from a student's point-of-view. All "Student Stories" are submitted by junior high or high school students. -Conroe ISD

Senior Academy of Science & Technology at TWCP HS

By Sydney Volanski

Destination ImagiNation (DI) has taught me what it truly means to be on a team. I have learned how to work with many different types of individuals: the leader, the follower, the skilled apathetic, and the unskilled enthusiast. I have discovered so much about team dynamics, about troubleshooting interpersonal issues before they become critical. The most important team skill I have learned would have to be delegation: in DI, it is crucial that everyone has a specific role, something to focus on, such as materials, funds, requirements, etc. The team runs very smoothly when each person tends to their responsibility. I feel so much more prepared for group-based projects and activities beyond high school because of my experience with DI.

Many other Academy activities have taught me about teamwork as well. During my freshman year, I was selected as a Senior Scientist for the Jones State Forest project. As the leader of my group, I learned how to lead by example and how important it is to leadership to take team members’ opinions into account when making decisions. Additionally, many projects in Academy classes require cooperation, especially lab work. I know I would not have had such an instructive and enjoyable experience in AP Chemistry labs without the cooperation of my lab partner Manasi Joshi. Because we did our labs as teams, we were able to catch each other’s mistakes and lend a hand when needed.