Investing in the next generation of leaders

By TIFFANY PASCOE
Guest Columnist

There’s a particular kind of energy in a room full of young adults who show up not because they have to, but because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

I felt that energy again this week at the Indiana Family Institute’s Fall Dinner, where our Club America chapters from Fishers, HSE, Westfield, and Noblesville came together for an evening with Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee.

It’s easy to talk about “investing in young people” as an abstract goal. It’s another thing to watch it happen in real time – to see teenagers and young adults from different communities sit at the same tables, trade stories, and realize they’re not alone in caring about the things they care about.

That’s the real work of these chapters: building a sense of belonging for the greater good.

As President of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees, I see this same principle play out in our schools every day. Fostering and encouraging young people – giving them room to grow, be heard, and find their footing – isn’t a separate mission from what I do on the board. It’s the same work, just in a different setting. Being able to play even a small part in that, whether in a boardroom or around a dinner table with Club America and Indiana Family Institute, is one of the many meaningful parts of serving this community.

None of this happens without people willing to make it possible. Roscoe Stovall’s sponsorship gave our chapters a table and a reason to gather together rather than separately. A small logistical gift that translated into something much bigger: connection across our communities and the steady support of people like Martin Strother and Rachel Brandii, who keep this mission visible and resourced, is what allows these evenings to happen year after year rather than as one-off events.

(From left) Cherith Langham, HSE High School Club America Secretary; Shae Pullen, Fishers High School Club America; Zeke Gruber, FHS Club America; Daxton Sprouse, FHS Club America President; Seth Dillion, Babylon Bee CEO; Max Comer, HSE Club America President; Hunter Williams HSE Club America Vice President; Sophia Hunt, Westfield H.S. Club America President; Addie Holtsclaw, FHS Club America Vice President; Emma Cate, Noblesville H.S. Club America President; Audrey Diehl, FHS Club America Treasurer; and Tiffany Pascoe, President of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees. (Photo provided)

I keep coming back to this: mentorship and community aren’t abstract values. They’re built one dinner, one conversation, one introduction at a time. Every time I get to watch these young adults connect with each other (and with adults who believe in their potential) I’m reminded that this is exactly the kind of quiet, consistent investment that shapes the leaders our communities will need in the next decade.

If you’re looking for a way to support the next generation, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Sponsor a table. Show up. Introduce two young people to each other who wouldn’t otherwise have met. That’s how a movement gets built – not all at once, but evening by evening.

Consider donating to Indiana Family Institute at this link.