Kid learns about leadership one step at time

Teenager Nate Balducci has been learning systematically how to be a leader with a variety of experiences in school, his church and his rural community.

And he's doing this from his somewhat unusual setting of living on his family's wine grape farm just west of Augusta, MO, the home of a number of wineries.

Fourteen-year-old Nate was named last spring as one of the 2009 Gateway Young Achievers. The kids are given the award after extensive interviews to learn of their accomplishments in school and in their communities.

(Young Saint Louis.com has covered the Young Achiever program for several years. After a award-ceremony story in May, YSL.com then writes an individual profile for all the elementary and middle school winners.

(This is the 4th in the 2009 series. Starting with the June edition, the profiles will go through the end of the year. Earlier stories were in June, July and August.)

Nate said he wants a career as the manager of a construction firm.

He said he's learning how to be a carpenter while working on the family farm. There's always something that needs to be built or fixed on a working farm.

Nate Balducci

But, his family's farm also includes a restaurant housed in a former barn on the property. That business involves managing a varied staff on an every-day schedule.

That means his family's success relies on others and just not him doing his job.

Nate said he got to learn a lot about the principles of leadership as a delegate to a People to People Leadership Forum in Washington, DC.

One of the leadership principles that stuck with him was the idea that a strong leader has to do more than preach his ideas. "You have to be receptive to listening to the ideas of others," he said.

During his years in school at St. Vincent de Paul in nearby Dutzow, MO, Nate has had opportunities to learn more about leadership.

He was on the school's student council for three years and was elected president of the council in his 8th grade year.

Nate said he ran for the president's job, in part, because it would give him experience in interacting with both fellow students as well as the school's faculty. And he'd have opportunities to speak before groups of people.

During the election campaign, Nate had to deliver a speech before all the students from 4th through 8th grade. He said he looked on that experience as another in his leadership lessons.

After the election, one of the council president's functions was to gather student ideas for projects and changes and present them to the school's principal. Last school year was a time when the school had financial problems and was considering whether it would continue to operate.

Nate said one of the council projects last year was a Mardi Gras party that would be a fund-raiser to help ease the financial strain on the school.

Nate said he was satisfied with the accomplishments during his year as president.

Another of Nate's leadership experiences include his time as a student mediator. In that role, he was among a small group of students who monitored recess periods and mediated any playground disagreements.

He said most arguments involved two students who disagreed about rules of play. "The two didn't think they were getting a fair break," he said.

He said most of the arguments were settled peacefully once he, a third party, joined the discussion. "Most of the time, the two would come to an agreement by themselves if there was someone there to mediate," he said.

In a letter of nomination for Nate to the Young Achievers organization, Mrs. Pamela Stapel, the student council moderator, said, "Nate is natural born leader."

She added, "He was an outstanding council president and is an excellent role model for students of all ages."

Nate was at St. Vincent de Paul school from kindergarten through 8th grade.

He said the school doesn't calculate GPA's. But, he said, "I've had As and Bs throughout my time there."

Also, at his 8th grade graduation, he was awarded a Sr. Louise Schmid Scholarship for achievement. It included a partial-tuition scholarship to St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington, MO, where he started his freshman year last month.

Nate said he liked best his classes in math, especially algebra. He said he was in advance placement classes in his math classes.

He was one of the students on the school's Math Bowl team, which competed against other area Catholic schools.

Nate was also active in a number of school activities. His 8th grade basketball team won the county championship. But, Nate said he doesn't plan to play sports in high school.

But, he does plan to continue his music in high school. He played all percussion instruments and was named to an area honor band. Nate said he already has been selected for the drum line at St. Francis Borgia this fall.

He also worked on the St. Vincent de Paul school's yearbook staff, which produced a DVD rather than a printed yearbook. Nate said he was involved in video-taping sports events and activities and then editing the material for the DVD.

At his church, Nate also was active. He served at mass for the last seven years. Also, he said he enjoyed serving and cleaning up after church breakfasts and dinners.