Mike Heldstab
Junction City High School alumni Mike Heldstab originally joined KAY because his mom wanted him to become involved with a club. At only 12 years old, he decided the KAY club was a good fit because it involved leadership. He knew he loved working with people, and a leadership club seemed to be a perfect fit.
Mike was one of the famed CAREER CAMPERS who attended six years of KAY Leadership Camp. His memories of camp are among his favorite memories of KAY. He says “As a six year camper, I met hundreds of friends from across the state. I was fortunate enough to learn from many counselors each year. I am fortunate to still have amazing friendships that were built many years ago as a KAY camper.”
Of the many great relationships Mike built at KLC, the one he reflected on the most was his friendship with staff member Phil Figgs. Phil was a counselor each year that Mike attended camp. Mike recalls “He[Phil] is the perfect example of a leader who truly cared about the people around him. It was impossible to be around Phil and not feel inspired. I will never forget the great conversations I had with Phil over the years, where he would encourage me to become the best leader I could be, while always keeping my values and beliefs.”
Mike currently works in Wichita as a District Representative for United States Senator Jerry Moran. He uses the values he learned from KAY each and every day. He notes that “the skills I acquired are extremely important to the job I do. I learned how to work with other people, no matter what the circumstance. KAY taught me how to respect other people even when you are different or disagree, which is one of the most valuable skills I have today. My experiences in KAY led me to run for student government in high school. I became the class president because I believed I could make a difference. I was able to accomplish many things because of the confidence I gained from my KAY leaders and peers.”
“The most important lesson I learned as a KAY,” Mike says, “was to be confident with your ideas and actions. Middle and High school can be a tough time to be a confident leader. It isn’t always ‘cool’ to step up and be the leader. KAY camp taught me that a true leader will stand up and lead no matter how hard that can be. This continues to be valuable to me in the real world, as being a leader is still not always easy.”
KAY State Director Cheryl Gleason was also another role model for Mike throughout his time in KAY. “My favorite memory was having the chance to be around her at camp each year. She could take a room full of tired kids and turn them into an ignited group of leaders, in just a few moments,” Mike said. “It was impossible to be bored or uninterested when Cheryl was in the room. She is a SUPERFANTASTIC leader that has touched thousands of lives during her time as a KAY director.”