Leading others to dream on campus and off
June 16, 2021
Molokai Youth to Attend Global Leadership Summit
June 16, 2021
Have you ever stumbled upon something so life-changing that you had to share it with everyone you know?
That’s what happened to Alexander Muto five years ago. The then-16-year-old flew to San Diego with a friend to attend the Tony Robbins Global Youth Leadership Summit, a four-day leadership development program for youths ages 14 to 17.
There, the two teens, along with more than 300 students from 27 countries, absorbed the empowering messages of the summit’s keynote speakers (including Robbins himself) and took part in discussions, games and exercises designed to help them identify their individual strengths, set personal goals and make a commitment to community service.
To say it was a transformative experience would be an understatement. Alexander’s mother, Robin Muto, said her son returned home fully energized — and ready to create a ripple effect. “He said to me, ‘I want to take my whole school” to the summit, she recalled. “He started inviting kids the next day.”
Muto said Alexander had mapped out a three-point plan on the flight back to Maui. First, he intended to take as many students as possible to San Diego the following year; second, he would form the Hawaii Leaders Core, a network of like-minded students; and third, he vowed to host his own event — in the same vein as the Robbins’ leadership summit — on Maui by the end of 2018.
Muto wholeheartedly endorsed her son’s vision — but then she sat down to crunch the numbers. After adding up the costs of registration fees, airfare, overnight accommodations, food and ancillary expenses, Muto said, “It worked out to be about $2,500 per student.”
But she was determined to see things through.
“I said, no matter what, if these kids are willing to take the first step and attend the conference, we will find the money,” she said.
A few months later, after pitching the idea to donors in Hawaii and on the Mainland (including Deepak Chopra’s event coordinator, who agreed to sponsor two attendees), the newly minted Hawaii Leaders Core raised enough funds to send 40 teens from 19 Maui County schools to the leadership summit in 2014.
Not long after the fundraising effort began, the mother-son team launched a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Ignite a Life as the philanthropic arm of Hawaii Leaders Core. Ignite a Life’s mission is straightforward: to increase the quality of life for Hawaii’s youths, regardless of their financial status, by providing opportunities for them to become leaders in their schools and communities.
The nonprofit believes that “teaching youth how to break through limiting beliefs, set goals in line with their passions, communicate effectively and influence others for the better will create a strong generation of leaders.”
Since 2014, Ignite a Life, doing business as Hawaii Leaders Core, has hosted a number of youth events in Hawaii and has made it possible for more than 180 students from Maui, Lanai and Molokai to attend the annual Robbins youth leadership summit, as well as leadership and business events in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Now 21 and pursuing a degree in communication at the University of California Santa Barbara, Alexander has checked two items off his original to-do list. And he’s about to tackle the third — a few months ahead of schedule.
Modeled after the Robbins leadership summit and other international youth events, the first annual Alaka’i Youth Leadership Academy will be held June 18 through 24 at the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului. Open to youths ages 14 to 24, the six-day residential immersion program will be led by 75 mentors, facilitators and keynote speakers who will teach attendees the fundamentals of leadership — including character development, goal-setting, interpersonal communication and financial independence — through team-building activities, physical challenges, lectures and group discussions.
Two programs will run simultaneously: The “high school track” is intended for current high school students ages 14 to 18; the “grad track” is designed for high school graduates ages 18 to 24.
To learn more about Ignite a Life, to inquire about donor or volunteer opportunities or to register for the Alaka’i Youth Leadership Academy June 18 through 24, visit www.ignitealife.org, email ignitealife@gmail.com or call 250-2550.
* Sarah Ruppenthal is a Maui-based writer. Do you have an interesting neighbor? Tell us about them at missruppenthal@gmail.com. Neighbors and “The State of Aloha,” written by Ben Lowenthal, alternate Fridays.
