With an eye toward helping students develop the skills necessary to be successful leaders after graduation, Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, is launching a Leadership Academy this fall.
“Programs like this are so important in the digital world we live in, especially programs that are rooted in faith and a moral compass,” said Mary Whipkey, president emerita of the school. “Students will learn life skills through this program that will help them on their journey after CCHS.”
Camden Catholic previously had a Leadership Academy program, which high school leadership wanted to revitalize. As such, Whipkey began researching approaches taken by other Catholic institutions and was hired as a consultant to develop the framework for the revamped program.
“I started reading, learning and coaching students about executive function skills, which are at the core of leadership,” said Whipkey, who retired as school president in 2023. After looking into how many Catholic high schools taught leadership, she discussed her findings with the school’s current president and principal, Jim Hozier and Heather Crisci, respectively.
“I am excited for CCHS to be developing the next generation of strong leaders who use their God-given gifts, talents and strengths to make this world a better place,” Crisci said.
The Camden Catholic Leadership Academy will be a collaborative initiative involving existing leadership groups like the Pilarz Honors Program, student government, National Honor Society, Green & White student ambassadors, and the Link Crew freshman orientation leaders. Participants will receive training through meetings and workshops after school; programming will include special guest speakers, panel discussions and field trips. School leaders ultimately hope to reach the entire student community with the academy through school retreats and more.
“They will [develop] a compassionate mind to understand many different perspectives; they will learn relationship building and how to connect to many different perspectives,” Whipkey said. “They will learn to think outside the box.”
The initiative will be anchored by core pillars: compassion, connections and creativity.
“The three pillars all have components of what is necessary to be a good leader,” Whipkey explained. “Generally, we hope a graduate learns through faith the ability to be empathetic, vulnerable and authentic. Every graduate should have the skills of connections – active listening, public speaking, networking, collaboration with others and conflict resolution. Lastly, every leader has to learn to be a creative problem solver – to look at problems differently, brainstorm solutions, test out a process and reframe to see how it can be better.”
Underlying each aspect of the program will be the Mercy Charism in which the Camden Catholic community is deeply rooted. Whipkey noted the values instilled in the school by the Sisters of Mercy, and cited a quote from the order’s founder, Catherine McAuley, that is displayed in the school’s hallways: “We must strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
Crisci agreed. “The charism of the Sisters of Mercy is embedded in this program, and we will be teaching our students how to lead in the world with compassion, creativity and connection.”
“Leadership is important for students to learn, not just for themselves, but how to lead in service of others around them,” she continued.
One of the students who has been invited to participate in the program is rising senior Chiara Torchia, a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown. She was selected based on her involvement in the Pilarz Honors Program for the last three years.
“Being a part of this process is so exciting for me,” she said. “Developing strong leadership skills is one of the most valuable things a student can do, and I’m looking forward to learning and sharing these lessons with my peers to help strengthen our community even further.”
“Today, many students struggle to navigate what leadership truly means,” she continued. “I want to help change that by bringing Camden Catholic students together to learn tools that will serve them for a lifetime.”
Fellow rising senior Shannon Atkinson, a member of Saint Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, is likewise eager to be part of the new Leadership Academy. “I am thrilled to be that upperclassman for the younger students in our Camden Catholic family.”
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