L.E.O. Program Students Represent Don Bosco Prep & The Leonidas Foundation In D.C. At Summer Leadership Conference

Tuesday, July 3, 2018 ~ Contact Matt Perricone, President: 973-615-3501/leonidasfoundation@gmail.com ​

Washington, D.C. ~ The L.E.O. Program students of Don Bosco Preparatory High School attended a extraordinary summer learning program in Washington, D.C. from Sunday, June 24 – Friday, June 29, 2018.   
​
The first annual "L.E.O. Program Summer Leadership Conference," hosted by The Leonidas Foundation in conjunction with Mason Harriman Group and The Catholic University of America, was a rousing success.  Accompanied by Matthew Perricone, President of The Leonidas Foundation, John Esposito, LEO Program Director, and Teddy Vagias, Leo's father, seventeen young individuals traveled from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. to Washington, D.C. for this multi-faceted experience. 
​
L.E.O. students arrived at Don Bosco Prep campus at 5:30am on Sunday morning, travelling from there to Newark Penn Station, where they boarded an Amtrak train bound for Washington’s Union Station. Upon their arrival in our Nation's Capital, the students immediately commenced their learning experience at Mason Harriman Group's corporate headquarters.  There, they were addressed by eighteen current and former executives from different levels and departments of the federal government in a series of interactive sessions.  Topics discussed by the speakers included academic and career advice, anecdotes about their own paths to their current roles in the government, and experiences within the world of business and public service. 

Panelists included Secretary, and C-level executives from over 15 departments in the federal government. The departments they represented included, Departments of Interior, Treasury, Homeland Security, Defense, Agriculture, Commerce, Transportation, and all 5 branches of our military, including one admiral and a general. The panelists’ breadth of experience and expertise allowed for L.E.O. students to gain an understanding of our government and its workings.
The L.E.O. Program ambassadors then spent the next six days attending the Busch School Summer Business Institute at The Catholic University of America.  This entrepreneur-focused summer institution provided a wide array of offerings to enrich the mind, body and spirit of the young scholars who attended, focusing on the core values of the L.E.O. Program: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Opportunity; all while working to create entrepreneurs with a social conscience.

---

"This was truly an incredible experience for everyone involved," said Perricone.  "The amount of learning and mentoring that took place this week was not just inspiring for our L.E.O. program students, but for the presenters, speakers, and educators as well. Our L.E.O. students came to Washington looking to learn more about our federal government and its intersection with business and entrepreneurship. They left Washington understanding that, and much more." 

The L.E.O. Program was established at Don Bosco Prep in 2017 as a one-of-a-kind business education experience.  The Leonidas Foundation established a $100,000 endowment at Don Bosco Prep to commence the Program's activities in 2017, showing its commitment to promoting academic excellence and an interactive business learning experience for the young individuals selected to participate. 
​
For more information on The Leonidas Foundation, including upcoming events, background, and information on how to become involved, please visit their website at www.LeoUniteUs.org or e-mail leonidasfoundation@gmail.com. ​

---