On September 11th, Lourdes celebrated the Installation Mass, a beloved tradition where student leaders are installed into their roles for the 2025-2026 school year. Leaders of clubs, academic teams, and new organizations pledged to guide their peers with faith, compassion, and dedication. Just days later, at the Club Fair, freshmen and upperclassmen alike had the chance to join these organizations, stepping into new opportunities for growth, friendship, and service.
For many students, leadership begins with a passion for creating something new. Juniors Kami Cardonne, Rebecca Ventura, and Gavrielle Rodriguez, chief founding officers of the new LINK Club at OLLA, were inspired by their personal experiences. LINK is a new club dedicated to inclusivity and advocacy for individuals with special needs.
“My inspiration behind this club is bringing a more inclusive society into Lourdes,” explained Kami. “You can’t just give [the special needs community] something one day and they’ll be fine–you have to understand them and make friendships with them so they have something to care about and someone that cares for them.”
Rebecca Ventura shared a similar motivation, rooted in her family experience: “Growing up with a brother who had special needs, I saw how people didn’t believe in him. I want to show others that they’re normal kids, normal people.. A community that should be normalized and seen as humans because they are.”
The process of starting a new club came with challenges, from building a mission statement to recruiting members. Getting through these challenges brought the founders closer together. Gavrielle said, “Even though we weren’t super close friends before, now we’ve created a really good relationship. We’ve worked through it together, and we’re super organized now.”
Leadership is not only about passion but also about discipline and balance. Senior Luna Turros, president of DECA, an academic business team, takes on the unique challenges and responsibilities of leading a competitive organization.
“With an academic team, it’s not only about going to states,” Luna said. “You also have to plan fundraisers and service events at Lourdes. It’s more than winning, it’s about organizing events like DECA’s halloween party, bake sales, and Give Butters.”
Her approach as president this year focuses on preparing the team for states and giving everyone opportunities. “When I joined DECA, I had no idea what it was until I arrived at states,” Luna said. To prevent this from happening to new members, Luna is planning roleplay practices and a practice competition against Columbus.
For many, leadership also means including our Catholic values. Junior Gloria Rodriguez, president of Agape Prayer Group, sees her role as an opportunity to integrate faith into serious conversations and to spark passion in others.
Gloria described leadership as “the ability to adapt and communicate,” and that a strong leader helps her peers stay informed and engaged. She says that having interesting meetings is an important part of club participation. “If members have fun and feel like they’re making a difference,” Gloria said, “they want to keep coming back.”
What unites these clubs and teams is a vision of leadership not as a title, but as service. Student leaders at Lourdes serve with integrity and grace, shaping the community through small but meaningful acts. From planning competitions to founding new clubs, they are dedicated to helping their classmates succeed. Leadership is not about standing out, but about lifting others up.
