Nearly 40 young women from across North America came together from July 13-20 in Holly, MI, for the 2024 Seeds of Hope Youth Leadership Experience. Under the guidance of Program Outreach Coordinator Cheryl Hufnagel, the event provided high school girls the chance to connect with inspiring speakers, build lasting friendships and deepen their spirituality, all while enjoying the lakeside Maryville Retreat Center. Throughout the week, young adult peer mentors led their teams through challenge courses, explored servant leadership principles and embraced the core values of the Felician community.
Learning from Women Leaders
For the participants at Seeds of Hope, a key aspect of the program was the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of women leaders. Among them, Zeneta B. Everhart delivered a powerful keynote on “Safeguarding Your Vision Through Life’s Challenges,” sharing her personal journey of overcoming adversity, including racial violence. She also encouraged participants to create vision boards to guide their own paths. Through an interactive session on servant leadership, Christine Benson, Ph.D., helped participants deepen their understanding of what it truly means to lead. Near the end of the week, Amanda D. Glaze and Jasmine Kendrick co-led a session focusing on nurturing self-worth by empowering strengths and quieting the inner critic.
Throughout the week, the Felician Sisters offered wisdom and inspiration. Highlights included Sr. Suzanne Marie Kush’s session on identifying inspiring women and starting your own leadership story. In an empowering talk, Sr. Marilyn Marie Minter shared her mission story and encouraged participants to reflect on their purpose in God’s plan. There was also a hands-on rosary-making workshop with Sr. Mary Francis Lewandowski, providing a creative outlet for service. Drawing from personal experience, Sr. Mary Victoria Richardson challenged participants to shed emotional masks and embrace their true selves.
Service, Fun and Growth
In addition to attending speaker sessions, participants spent a day volunteering at various Detroit sites, including Felician-founded Deo Gratias Ministries Detroit, Earthwork Urban Farm and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. They enjoyed activities like swimming and boating on the lake, making s’mores by the campfire and creating stained glass candle holders used in the closing ceremony, where they were sent forth to initiate service in their home communities. One participant summed up the experience: “I would 100% recommend going to Seeds of Hope if you want to grow in leadership, service and faith while making new, lasting friendships along the way!”
In Gratitude
Many thanks to our generous sponsors and donors who made Seeds of Hope possible.
2024 Sponsors:
Eleanor and Stephen Ash
Anonymous Sponsor
Reverend Monsignor Bernard A. Przybocki
For a glimpse of the week, visit our Seeds of Hope Instagram, TikTok or Facebook pages. If you know a young woman eager to grow in faith and develop leadership skills, check out Seeds-Of-Hope.org for information on our next Seeds of Hope Youth Leadership Experience, July 12-19, 2025.
