Shelton Challenge Alumni Feature: Kinsley Price

For over twenty years, the Shelton Challenge has launched leadership development journeys for thousands of high school students across North Carolina and beyond. High school senior Kinsley Price has spent two summers at the Shelton Challenge, growing her personal leadership style, guided by her values, and fueling her passion for service.

Price first completed the Shelton Challenge in 2023 as a student participant. She spent the week engaged in classroom lessons and hands-on activities centered on discovering what it means to lead with your values. 

In 2024, she returned to the Shelton Challenge. This time, she attended as a Peer Leader (PL) and was responsible for guiding a team of first-year participants through leadership development activities while providing them with support and the insight she had acquired during her first year.

A transformative experience

Through two summers of involvement with the Shelton Challenge, Price has experienced not only a growth in her leadership style but also in her interaction with the world around her.

“Since the Challenge, I’ve become a much better leader because I’ve become more outspoken and I believe in myself a lot more,” Price reflects.”Transitioning from a participant to a Peer Leader was an amazing experience. I loved getting to use what I learned from the following year to help others experience the same thing that I did. Getting to work with the people in my group helped me to grow as a leader and build bonds that will last a lifetime.”

The Challenge experience strives to empower high school students to leverage their unique perspectives and strengths to become leaders and collaborate with peers, a skill that translates well when applying their leadership to opportunities within their own communities.

“The key lesson that I learned from the Challenge was really just that you can be yourself,” Price said. “Everybody’s going to have a different leadership skill, you’re never going to be like the person beside you; there’s always going to be something different. But the thing is you can come together and bring your perspectives to make the situation so much better than it ever started with.”

Price believes her experience at the Shelton Challenge propelled her to be an outgoing leader. This transformation is apparent to the leaders of the organizations she serves with, including through her school’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

“I would highly recommend the Shelton Challenge. I’ve had times where I’ve thought back to the Challenge and thought about what they’ve taught me and I’ve been able to use that,” Price said. “My [JROTC] colonel could tell you that two years ago I was the shyest person ever and now that is far gone. I’m not shy anymore. I’m able to step out. I’m able to learn about new things and I’m able to help people.”

According to Colonel John Corral, Price’s Senior Army JROTC instructor, the impact of attending the Shelton Challenge program is evident within the work she does to support her community.

“Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kinsley Price has improved across the leadership spectrum of attributes and competencies based on her attendance at the Shelton Challenge camp. Her self-confidence has improved, and she is more forceful in leading others. She has become innovative; with the ability to introduce something new when needed. In her staff class, she shows the capacity to anticipate changing situations,” Corral said. “ I have known Kinsley for four years. She is a transformative leader. Her actions over this past year show her ability to influence her peers positively. This attitude is infectious to other younger cadets. Lastly, her leadership skills extend beyond JROTC. She holds school leadership positions; team captain of the volleyball team and a member of the student advisory council in the South Carolina High School League.”

Applying a passion for service

Among her favorite parts of the Shelton Challenge, Price says the most impactful part of the week was the group volunteer project, during which students explore social responsibility. One of the service excursions her cohort participated in was a visit to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to assist with harvesting and planting food in the community garden.

“I loved getting to participate in the service-learning activity. My favorite thing to do is volunteer and it was really cool getting to see the garden and how they used it to help people,” Price said. “I loved being a part of that project even if it was just for part of the day!”

Price has applied her passion for service leadership to opportunities that she has organized in her own community.

“I’ve created a toy drive [during] the first week of school. My principal and my [JROTC] Colonel [Corral] could all tell you I came in there just ready,” Price said. “I was so ready because I’d been to the Shelton Challenge and I’ve just learned so many different things and I came in there with all these ideas.”

Price has also exemplified her dedication to service through the completion of her project for the Junior Achievement program through JROTC. She planned and coordinated with elementary school teachers to complete the service project which supports local elementary students. Her participation in the project expanded and enhanced her school’s JROTC program, according to Colonel Corral. In this role, Price selected which group of her fellow cadets would go to each class at the elementary school. She also created lesson plans at the end of the year, which guided cadets on how to teach the content.

“It was a great experience and helped me learn how to teach elementary aged students and helped with my time management,” Price said.

“Serving her community, Kinsley has been involved in her community for years. She has been involved with Mt. Zion church youth group. She sings in the choir. She also helps in the Great Falls ‘Lord’s Lunchbox’ making and serving food for the needy,” Corral said. “Every year Kinsley is involved in the Teen Drive collecting Christmas gifts for the local teen center. A caregiver, Cadet Price enjoys reaching out to her hometown and helping people who need help. She also volunteers with Adopt-A-Highway keeping the community clean.”

Coming back to the Challenge

In reflection of the impact the program has had on her, Price encourages students considering attending the Shelton Challenge in the future to be open to the experience. “My advice for you would be to just step out of your comfort zone. Don’t lose any opportunity because you’re scared.”

With support from a local community member who created a scholarship for students in the JROTC program at Great Falls High School in Great Falls, SC, Price was able to attend the Challenge on a full scholarship. Since then, two additional students from Price’s school have attended and completed the Shelton Challenge.

Price’s Shelton Challenge journey will continue this summer as she will return to the experience as a Leadership Coach. Through this position, Price will guide new students through the summer experience and support returning PLs to grow as leaders in their roles.