Wells Leadership Club Going Strong

Marisa Gargano’s Leadership Club meets every Wednesday from 2:45-3:30. It has been meeting since 2006 when her own children were in school. She wanted to start a club at Wells Middle School dedicated to community service. With an average of 20 students per year joining the club, she has trained about 360 middle school students to be leaders in their community.

The club works on community service projects on a local, national and international scale. Some organizations the club has worked with include the Putnam Humane Society, United for the Troops and Save the Children. The club also partners with  other Wells Middle School clubs dedicated to public service. 

The club is currently working on a project for United for the Troops, an organization devoted to making deployed service members feel closer to home. As such, the leadership students are making care packages which include stars from retired flags, a poem and packages of soil from home.

“The soil we put into baggies is to make the soldiers feel closer to home,” explained sixth grader Cameron Cluzet.

“My son, who was deployed up until last year, put the star he received in his wallet,” explained Gargano.

Thomas Yi, another sixth grader, is helping to deliver boxes to the sixth-grade social studies rooms.

“We are having a contest to see which class collects the most items from the deployed soldiers’ wish list,” said Yi, “We are collecting stuff like baby wipes, toothpaste, and shampoo.”

Today two alumni from the leadership club are helping out at the club. They are currently ninth graders at Brewster High School.

“This club is great because we had lots of opportunities to help and honestly, it helped me find my voice,” said Hailey Jaconetti, “I can now get up in front of a classroom and speak to groups. Mrs. Gargano is the best.”