Leaders for Life International empowers teens entering grades 9-12 to fulfill dreams and achieve success.
Teresa began her career as a teacher and invested all of her time as an educator and counselor. She worked to deliver meaningful curriculums and courses – until she realized that something important was missing from the students she taught – the ability to recognize and embrace their own gifts, the ability to communicate in alignment with these gifts, and the knowledge of how to bring themselves to the world in a way that was congruent with these gifts – their “core genius”.
Thus, 10 years ago she set out to start her own company called “Leaders for Life International” and began delivering crucial leadership programs to teens throughout the world. Now, building on the success of this program, she is branching off to add a new program called the “Ripple of Success™. This approach uses her 30 plus years experience as an insightful educator, teen trainer, and compassionate counselor to teach teens entering college how to harness their own unique skills, gifts, talents and passion to create a Ripple of Success in their own life and eventually, that of others.
With a Master’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Counseling, Teresa has integrated a wealth of knowledge to deliver outstanding success to her teen programs. She has delivered keynote speeches, facilitated workshops and seminars for thousands of teenagers. She has also facilitated dialogue between students and their parents to ensure alignment on the student’s chosen career path.
Drawing from this experience, as wells as her skills and intuition, she works with groups of teens to educate them and prepare them for college life and subsequent career path.
The second edition of “The Ripple” magazine, 2011
The first edition of “The Ripple” magazine designed by Alex Schloop, L4L Staff, includes photos and articles by our leaders, 2010.
Each year hundreds of thousands of students graduate high school and begin the most formative chapter of their lives—college. They leave their comfort zones, their routines, and their communities for a world of the unknown. They’ve seen the movies and heard the stories, but, ultimately, they have no idea what to expect.
Based on her wealth of experience in working with teens, Teresa realizes what the path to college means for the incoming college student on the deepest level. After living under the authority of their parents for 18 years, they are finally in the driver’s seat of their every decision, their lifestyle, and their future. Furthermore, when transitioning to college, these students experience the rare opportunity to re-invent who they are. This new chapter offers a unique ability to reshape themselves in alignment with their core genius and their authentic selves to create their own unique “Ripple of Success.”
Teresa works with schools and parents to educate, inform and support teens who are making this journey between the end of high school and the beginning of college in order to help them get ready for this life-changing event and the eight core events that occur this timeframe – making new friends, guiding school spirit, college orientation, starting residential life, local activity, student life, academics, and their online social footprint.
She also helps them fast forward ahead to connect with their post-college self and start thinking about their career path and how they can begin to align to that path while still in college.
She teaches them about their “inner net” – the people they will most closely associate with – and how to strategically select the people they connect with, the organizations they associate with, their approach to homework and even their interaction with their social media sites such as Facebook.
Overnight Programs for Students Entering Grades 9-12
$1497
YMCA Camp of the Rockies
Snow Mountain Ranch – Granby, CO
August 5-9, 2018
It seems like ages ago that I stepped off the plane in Colorado to attend what was to be an incredible week with L4L. Although I only attended for one summer, L4L left a lasting impact on me as a curious, ambitious, yet not completely confident teenager. Throughout the week I learned an incredible amount about myself, my beliefs and about those around me. After being pushed to present my ideas for starting a socially minded business to a large group, I realized not only how much I enjoyed public speaking, but also found that people actually like to listen. It may sound like a small detail, but this realization stuck with me throughout college and continues to serve me as I begin my post grad life. After L4L my simple idea became a reality and lives on as a club focused on social impact in a few colleges and high schools around New York State.
Rachel Rosenbaum, Cornell University Graduate Challenge Detroit Fellow & Innovation Xchange Coordinator at General Motors
L4L Teen Week - My 15 year old son hesitantly attended the week. No academics, no competition, no athletic pressure-just teens connecting with teens and sharing an appreciation for one another with self discovery along the way.
Cathy Ashleimer
Leaders for life has impacted me to strive for the best in every situation. Not only that , but it has taught me to be diverse and network. It has put me in positions that has made me matriculated into different business fields such as radio and communications and has helped me establish my personal brand as a college student.
Jasmine Baskin, Tennessee State University, Mass Communications Integrated Marketing Major, International Business Minor, French Minor, Honors Student
L4L gave me the inspiration to believe that I myself could turn an idea into reality from start to finish. It was the catalyst to a transformation within me to understand that a leader doesn't always have to have every step planned out beforehand, but rather constantly adapts one’s plan to fit the current situation- with the end goal always in mind. Prior to experiencing L4L and all that followed, I despised oral presentations, I stuck to what I knew, and I left the "big decisions" to the adults. Leaders for Life International changed all of that: it gave me confidence. It gave me the confidence to find my voice, to adore debate and model UN, to co-found a club devoted to leadership, and to pursue a college degree at Dartmouth College in a league of colleges I previously could only ever have dreamed of. L4L made me realize that my voice was important, and that with confidence, I could use my voice to lead the world.
Simrit Singh, New Hartford High School Class of 2015, Dartmouth College Class of 2019