Tim Howard Leadership Academy: Empowering Teens with TS Through Leadership and Resilience

Ever wondered what it’s like to be part of a life-changing leadership program designed specifically for teens with Tourette Syndrome? In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Fowler, director of the Tim Howard Leadership Academy, to explore how this immersive four-day experience at Rutgers University helps young adults develop self-advocacy, resilience, and leadership skills. We dive into the evolution of the program, the powerful mentorship provided by coaches, and the deep sense of community that makes this academy so unique.

If you or someone you know is a teen with Tourette Syndrome looking for a supportive and empowering experience, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Melissa also shares insights on what to expect at this year’s academy, the application process, and why this free program is truly a game-changer.

Episode Highlights:

[00:38] What the Tim Howard Leadership Academy is all about and why it’s such a big part of the NJCTS community.

[02:52] The Academy’s Origin Story – How the program started in 2014 and how it’s evolved to better serve participants.

[08:52] Team Talk & Mentorship – The unique peer-led discussions that foster deep connections and support among participants.

[12:33] Why Coaches Love It Too – How the Academy benefits not just the teens, but the young adult mentors who return year after year.

[17:18] Living on Campus at Rutgers – What it’s like staying in dorms, eating in the dining hall, and getting a taste of college life.

[21:39] How to Apply – Breaking down the simple, stress-free application process for both participants and coaches.

[27:05] A Thoughtfully Designed Program – The mix of expert-led discussions, advocacy training, and real-world scenarios to help teens navigate life with Tourette’s.

[33:28] Recreation & Community Building – From quiet spaces to outdoor sports, the Academy ensures there’s something for everyone.

[40:31] A Global, Free Program – Teens from around the world can apply, and the Academy is free (excluding travel expenses).

Information about Tim Howard Leadership Academy:

📅 Application Deadline: February 15 (official), but applications are accepted through February 28, 2025.

📅 2025 Academy Dates: July 31 – August 3, 2025 at Rutgers University.

🔗 Learn More About the Academy: njcts.org/academy

📝 Apply Here: njcts.org/academy/application

📧 Contact Melissa Fowler (Academy Director) with Questions: academydirector@njcts.org

Remember, each story shared on this podcast brings light and understanding to the diverse experiences within the Tourette's community. Your journey is your own, and it's filled with potential and promise. If this episode resonated with you, I encourage you to like, share, and leave a review to help us connect with more listeners.

Transcript

Melissa Fowler: 0:00

Yes. And then we've also had a range of experiences in terms of, you know, tics and the significance or severity of tics. So we've had some people who have attended who had very minimal tics, really at all through the duration of the academy. We've had others who have very significant, severe vocal tics and motor ticks, and really, again, one of the things I really love about it is that it's a safe space to be on either side of that spectrum, you know, and anywhere in between. I mean, there's no expectation of what the presentation of Tourette Syndrome, quote, unquote, should look like.

Michael Leopold: 0:38

Welcome to the uptick brought to you by The New Jersey Center for Tourette syndrome and associated disorders, empowering children and adults through education, advocacy and research, by sharing the stories and experiences relevant to the TS community. Hello and welcome back to the uptick. Today, I am speaking with Melissa Fowler, who is the director of the Tim Howard Leadership Academy, which is a four day program annually that takes place at Rutgers through njcts. The Academy is designed to develop self leadership, advocacy, skills, resilience in teens with Ts and CO occurring conditions, really, it helps with the transition from being a teen to being a young adult with things like dating, driving, going to college, getting your first job, asking for accommodations, disclosure, all those things that we find ourselves doing as We get older and have Ts, and you have a mix of coaches and adult leaders that help guide the high school students through all of that. Really, I this comes up in a lot of my podcast episodes. I find I'm talking to someone who's part of the Academy, a coach, a participant or four more participants. And so I it often comes up because of just how big it's been in my life and the other people in the ajcts community. So really have the privilege today of speaking with with Melissa, the director, to get her thoughts on it and hear from her about what we can expect in the next iteration of it, which will be July 31 through August 3. But anyway, without further ado. Melissa, how are you?

Melissa Fowler: 2:23

Hi, Michael, thanks for having me doing great whole day here in New Jersey. Hard to believe that in just six short months we will be in the summer months at the Academy

Michael Leopold: 2:32

lies by. It always does. I'm sure not, I'm sure, in a sense, so you you are planning, your planning for the Academy starts like the day after the last one. So you've been on thinking about it for a while, I bet

Melissa Fowler: 2:43

merely we get maybe a little short reprieve there, but by two weeks after the one Academy passes, we are in the swing of things for planning for the next year. So just

Michael Leopold: 2:52

for our listeners who aren't as familiar, the Tim Howard Leadership Academy started in 2014 this was an initiative, I believe was one of faith Rice's ideas, our former executive director. And do you want to walk us through a little bit on that story, how it began and what, what was kind of the mission of it? Sure,

Melissa Fowler: 3:11

Faith actually came to me. I would say it was about November of 2013 so going back a ways now, and told me she had this idea the Leadership Academy, and gave me, sort of her vision for what that might look like. And at the time, she thought it might be something a little bit different than just straight up advocacy programs, which we have, but, you know, something that that veered a little bit away from that, and instead provided teens with TS an opportunity to explore what it means to be a leader and to think of the different ways that they could demonstrate leadership. Certainly, advocacy was still at the core of that. But this was not to be confused with just a straight advocacy program. This was meant to be an experience that was immersive and allowed students the opportunity to really, kind of drill down into what their goals were. So it was about 2000 end of 2013 and then, you know, we were up and running by a following summer in our first Academy was in August of 2014 Yeah,

Michael Leopold: 4:09

I joined as a coach 2016 it was year three. And one thing I've noticed is just how the program has evolved over the years. I bet I coach. I think six, six or seven times. I think six times, six of the iterations of it. And it's always, you know, a work in progress with just bringing in new content, refining it, evolving it, making it better and better every year, which is always exciting to see. So this year that, I guess, will be the 12th year of it for for the 2025, iteration, any anything new and exciting that you're looking forward to with, with, with this iteration, that'll be different.

Melissa Fowler: 4:43

Yeah, I mean, I like to think that every year when, I mean, when I think back to 2013 and what that, I'm sorry, 2014 and what the first Academy looked like. We've grown and changed in so many ways. And so I often tell our coaches and our participants, you know that we hand out surveys at the end of the program. And I tell them, and I don't know how to reiterate it strongly enough that their feedback really matters, because when I think back, like I said, to 2014 versus where we are now, there's been a lot of growth changes, development of the programming. We're always looking for a new way to freshen it up, and we're always looking for ways to grow and change. A lot of the time we have repeat participants, which we're always happy to welcome people back, but we certainly then take seriously the goal to have something new, something interesting, something, you know, completely different from what we've had in previous years. So it's really been a growing and evolving thing. And when I look back at, like I said, at 2014 I see how different it is. Really, those changes were small and incremental. So it's not as if we changed everything overnight. We've really gradually absorbed the feedback that we've gotten from participants and coaches, and we've made changes accordingly. So it's sort of a very different program than what it initially started out as. I think the things that I'm looking forward to the most for this year would be really kind of fine tuning, that balance that we have between opportunities to drill deep and learn, which I would say is one of the pillars of what we focus on at the academy, really drilling in and learning about Tourette Syndrome, about comorbidities, and learning about, you know, what the process is like of going through high school and gaining independence, transitioning from high school to the workforce, or from high school into college, and balancing that, then, I would say, against another pillar that we've developed, which is really about goal setting, and goal setting in the way that really they they're we're asking the participants to consider very personal, cultivated goals, and we meet them where they are. So for some of our participants, I know their goals have been, you know what? Let me take my story to the road. Let me, you know, kick up what I've learned and my ability to advocate and apply it for other people on a really broad scale. And then we've had some participants who join us, who come in and they're like, listen, I just want to get kind of comfortable here talking to my friends or to my extended family about Tourette syndrome. And I mean, there's no judgment. In my opinion, there's no one goal better than the other. It's really just about finding what your personal goal is, and then we support you in creating some steps or a roadmap to reaching those goals. And then against that third pillar, which I would say is the social aspect. And you know, we, I can't downplay that. I think it's probably one of the most important things that we offer in the academy as an opportunity for teens to come together with other teens, with Ts. I mean, we hear things all the time, exactly, we hear things all the time. Like, I've never had the opportunity to be around others. I've never felt so safe with, you know, ticking or, like experienced so little judgment. So, you know, I guess I would say, in general, as the programming is still kind of underway, those are the three. Like finding the balance between those three pillars, to me is what I'm sort of most excited about this year.

Michael Leopold: 8:06

And there always is all three of those, and a balance there I can speak, especially the last one. There just the camaraderie the people I've met. It really is a psychologically safe place, and with just incredible people, from between the coaches to the participants. And that's something unique about it, too, is the ratio of coaches to participants. We have often a lot of coaches. There may be, I don't know, say there's 20 participants, there may be 10 coaches. And it allows for a few things, but one of the, you know, mentorship and things like that that can happen. But also one of the more, I think unique features of the academy is team talk that coaches facilitate with their their respective teams. I wonder if you could speak a little bit to that and kind of the thinking and purpose around team talk. Yeah.

Melissa Fowler: 8:52

So I want to just, you know, put out there that our participants themselves are generally having completed their freshman year of high school up through having completed their senior year. And then our coaches are individuals who have been, you know, anywhere from having finished their sophomore year of college or, you know, two years post high school in the workforce, all the way up through, I'll say young adults, late 20s, early 30s. What I think is really cool about our coaches is that they themselves have Tourette syndrome and comorbidities, and they, you know, are they've kind of walked the walk and talked the talk. They've had some leadership experience. And maybe they started as the, you know, the student who just felt comfortable talking to or had as their goal to talk to their friends. Maybe they started at a, you know, more advanced level. It doesn't really matter. They've had some demonstrated experience as as leaders with Ts. So the coaches, I really call them the backbone of the programming here, because I think, you know, as a as the director, I can make a lot of decisions and offer programs you know that I think are going to be worthwhile for the kids, and it's going to get them a great learning experience. But. So at the end of the day, the coaches are the ones who've I always go back to this term, but walk the walk and talk the talk, right? They've actually been there, and so having the coaches facilitate a lot of the learning experiences, and the experiences that go beyond traditional learning is really valuable. You mentioned that team talks. I think there's like no better example than that, right? The team talks happen every day, and they're an opportunity for the kids to break down into smaller groups, and they're facilitated with a couple of coaches. Always numbers always depend, but facilitated by a couple of coaches, those coaches are paired intentionally to offer kind of different and complementary experiences for the teens, and then, you know, some really heavy stuff gets talked about. I mean, I, I go back to, like, one of our interview questions is, you know, how do how do you feel as a teen? How do you feel, you know, being around other people who are sharing some heavy stuff, because, well, it's certainly not always the case. And I don't mean to make it sound like it's a depressing environment, you know, it's an opportunity, a safe place, for a lot of people to kind of share stuff that maybe they haven't shared before. And I think that's impactful. We hear it time and time again. The feedback that we get is like, that was life changing to be able to talk to somebody who's been there and to share my fears and my experiences, you know, in that setting, was really safe and really valuable.

Michael Leopold: 11:25

It is that's something that, I mean I I saw the value in as a coach, leading those, those team talk sessions and working with participants, I mean, hearing what they're sharing, and giving snippets from my life, things I picked up along the way and and that was a really unique part of the Academy for me that I think, you know, go on a lemon say, I think everyone appreciated that the team talks. And I think, you know, if you told me this when I was in high school or something, I think I would have been a little nervous about, like, oh, I have to go and, like, share and talk about my feelings about my Tourette. And honestly, I wouldn't have, I would have been pleasantly surprised by the time I got there, because it was such a it wasn't pressure to share if you weren't comfortable, really a point. But it was the kind of environment that I think brought it out of me and made me want to because I felt like, Oh, these are guys I can talk to about, like, some of these questions that I you know, I don't know anyone else with Tourette's in my life. So now I'm in a circle with people who get it, and by the third day of the academy, you feel pretty close to them. And is that, you know that that closeness and familiarity and it becomes sort of a, you know, a little, little family for your time there, that you can, you can talk about these difficult things with

Melissa Fowler: 12:34

you, made me think too. I mean, I feel like that's something that often gets overlooked when we talk about the academy, is that, you know, the coaches come in and they're really volunteering their time, and all of you do it, I know, because you know you care and you want to invest in individuals who maybe have an opportunity or an experience that you yourself as a teenager, wished that you had. But like, one of my favorite things, is that what I hear from coaches is that, wow, I had no idea that this was actually going to be a safe place and like a place to, you know, meet people and build a community myself. So yes, you know, it's not just for the participants, but the coaches wind up getting something out of it too. I

Michael Leopold: 13:14

always have said I get at least as much out of it as I put back just the people. I mean, it's a support group for me too. I mean, I know there have been years where I showed up at the academy after having, like, a really stressful month with my work or with my tics were flaring, and then, of course, flaring even more by the end of it, but, but I just knew that I could that was going to be in the right environment for that people who got it, people who I could just tick and just kind of be myself is very therapeutic and just like rejuvenating, honestly, because you don't have that kind of environment in the rest of the world yet, and I think that's what makes the academy so special. We're around people who get it and there's no judgment, and you could just be your like, I don't. I could be my silly, authentic self and and I love that. You know, I'm thinking to some of our listeners out there who may be in high school and all the various situations they may find themselves in, what would you say? What kind of person would this be a good opportunity for? And you can speak to maybe a couple cases or profiles of people that really would you would recommend they submit that application? Yeah.

Melissa Fowler: 14:21

I mean, that's a great question. I feel like over the years, we've had such an array of experiences. So we've had some people, as I alluded to earlier, who really have had minimal contact with others with TFS and their experience with Tourette Syndrome. Their diagnosis might only be a couple of years old, or even a couple of months old. And then we have people who've known that they have Tourette Syndrome since they were five. They've been comfortable, you know, talking about it for a number of years, I would say it's those people in anywhere in between, really, that would be great applicants. I feel like having a diverse range of experiences really only helps everybody. So for example. The person who's been diagnosed since they were five and is now 16 and attending and pretty comfortable with their diagnosis, I think they have a lot to learn from somebody who's pretty new to their diagnosis. They can remember or experience what that you know uncertainty might feel like, or what kinds of questions might be coming up for somebody you know, who's new to the diagnosis, and then vice versa, I think is true as well. So somebody who is pretty new to the diagnosis might have a lot to learn from someone who has worked to kind of gain the comfort and ability to talk openly about their diagnosis. So, you know, I like that there is sort of that range of experiences. And then we've also had a range of experiences in terms of, you know, tics and the significance or severity of tics. So we've had some people who have attended who had very minimal tics, really at all through the duration of the academy. We've had others who have very significant, severe vocal tics and motor tics and really, again, one of the things I really love about it is that it's a safe space to be on either side of that spectrum, you know, and anywhere in between. I mean, there's like, no there's no expectation of what the presentation of Tourette Syndrome, quote, unquote, doing air quotes here should look like, right? It's really meant for a range of of individuals and experiences,

Michael Leopold: 16:25

yeah. And I like your point about that, like being one of its assets, that, because it really is a community of people that have that full range of, you know, the full rainbow we see of the Trent spectrum and and then the mix of CO occurring conditions and stuff too. And I think that adds to it and adds to the experience, kind of wherever you're at will meet you there and and, you know, make the most of it. One of the cool highlights of it is that it's at Rutgers on the bush campus, the engineering campus, and we get to stay in the dormitories there and eat at the dining hall. That for me is always a highlight. I don't know I eat so well, they're just more, I don't know, I love that the quantity of food. I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm not having to cook is great. But wondering if you can speak to that, because I could also see that being a source of stress for people like, Oh, I've never been away from home for a night. Or, you know, I think there's, there's, there's a mix of things to say there,

Melissa Fowler: 17:18

yeah, that's a really great point. I think that, you know, having it at Rutgers. Rutgers also has the benefit of having the largest DNA and cell repository where Tourette Syndrome, like the genetics of Tourette Syndrome, that research is taking place. It's like, literally right there in our backyard. We get a chance to tour those facilities, which I think is really cool. So, you know, that's a whole other layer of Rutgers. I mean, I feel like it can be super intimidating for people to go away from home and stay in a dorm for the first time, but I feel like one of the really great things is we have that space all to ourselves, so you get really kind of a protected, I'll say, sort of first experience of being in a dorm setting. The dorms are actually really nice compared to what your average college dorm looks like, and so and participants get a roommate, and those roommates are assigned based on kind of some like, a pretty extensive background questionnaire that I administer to individuals who've been accepted into the program, and that's really meant to give me, like, a perspective of things, like, you know, what a person likes or doesn't like, so that, you know, two roommates might have some hobbies or interests in common. And then another portion of that is like, I want to make sure I don't pair somebody who, let's say, at the end of their day, they in order to decompress, need, like, quiet. I don't want to pair somebody like that with somebody who needs loud music and conversation and all of that. I want to make sure that the the pair of roommates that we select is, you know, a good a good fit, a good match for each other. So you know, you're not going through it alone. You have a roommate. We have that space privately. And then there's two other things that I would kind of call out that I think add a layer of security and safety. And one is that we have a night watchman, and he is there just for us. He himself has, you know, a son with Tourette Syndrome. His son is now an adult son, so he's kind of been through it all, and He supervises at night, so that if anybody has an issue in the middle of the night, they're just not themselves. They can, you know, have somebody who's who's there immediately, and he can go and get anybody who else who might be needed up and out of bed to be of support. And then we also have a nurse on staff the entire time. And our nurse, I think she herself, has Tourette syndrome, and she is an ER nurse, and I think she's just got so much experience, and like such a level of calm, she's fantastic. And I think she really puts a lot of minds, both parents and and teens, minds at ease because of how how skilled she is. So, you know, I mean, I feel like it could be intimidating. We really try to make some use of the space, like you said, the dining hall experience and getting to. See you as bats, like, right? Yeah, and then, like, we use this outdoor area that's kind of protected and secluded. We use this outdoor area there for a lot of outside activities. What are permitting, of course, but like I said, then we also just have that dorm to ourselves. So I think it's like the best of both worlds. You get the experience of what it's like to be in a college dorm, but you also get the experience in sort of like a, you know, a controlled and safe environment. It

Michael Leopold: 20:24

is. It's a quieter, like, six footed, the kind of courtyard area that, you know, yeah, there's not other students you're running into your record students running around like you don't see any of that. It's very we're the only ones on that, that part of the campus. Then, yeah, no, I saw that as one of the highlights of it was just, you know, I think introducing high school students to that, that younger age is also an opportunity in itself. Like you said, getting to sleep in the dorms, go to a college dining hall, but without some of the the other stressors you may have. You know, this is more of a, yeah, it's a controlled, easier way of, kind of introducing yourself to that. Yeah, exactly. You mentioned a lot about pairing the participants and speaking to them, getting to know them. The application process. Are they someone who needs talking at night and more extroverted? Are they someone that needs it to be very quiet? And that leads me to another point. I wanted to bring up around what the application process is like for any of our listeners who may be interested. You can go to ngcts.org/academy, and pull up the application there. And I know mostly you put a lot of thought into simplifying it and making it streamlined and not daunting. But wonder if you can, you know, for anyone on the edge of applying, but, but just the idea of applying and having to, you know, interview, maybe stresses them out. What if you could speak to that a little bit?

Melissa Fowler: 21:39

Yeah, so the application process is yet another thing that has just grown and changed over the years. And by grown, I actually mean it has been shrinking down dramatically. So where we are now with the application process is visit the site, as you said, and it connects you to a Google form. And the Google Form is just a few short questions that give a sense of who you are, how old you are, where you're from, all of that. And once you submit that, you get an automatic response to your email that gives you the link to the full application. And there isn't a separate application for people who are applying for the second or third or fourth time, and people who are applying for the first time, both of those links appear in the confirmation email. That link for a first time, applicant, I would guesstimate, will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 minutes to complete, maybe 30, when I kind of explain that it used to be a much, much longer process. It's certainly not that anymore. So it's meant to be something where the length of the application is not prohibitive or discouraging or, you know, an impediment to applying. So it's definitely been sort of made more accessible for folks, and then after the application is submitted, we look to schedule an interview. And I, I always use that term kind of loosely, interviews sounds so intimidating, and the two of us who are on the interview, I wouldn't say that we're very intimidating. So, you know, friendly people? Yeah, exactly. We're both pretty relaxed and friendly people. And really, we look at it as more of a discussion to get to know an applicant a little bit better, and, you know, get a sense of what interests them and what their strengths are. And that interview is not, you know, just a way for us to, let's say, like a typical interview, decide whether or not someone's a good candidate. I would say that interview is even more about trying to think through how we could best be supportive of the individual that we're interviewing and then getting a read of okay, so how does this individual create to the broader dynamic of the other individuals we've interviewed? So we almost use it as a way to start framing out the best adjustments for programming, the best ways to pair people and teams or as roommates. So it's really an opportunity for us to get to dig in and know somebody a little bit better. And then after the interview, we send out what I was referring to before as a sort of, like a questionnaire or survey, and that's our participant packet, and it gives us some information, you know, for the individuals that we've accepted into the program, gives us some information about, you know, who they are and the kinds of things that they need so that we can give them the most comfortable and enjoyable experience possible. So that's the process. And you know, we're always available too. I always say, if people have any concerns or questions or even nerves, you know about going into the process and they want to know more about the academy before applying. I always encourage people to reach out to me, and it's, you know, you can get to me easily by emailing me at Academy director, all one word@njcts.org

Michael Leopold: 24:52

No, that's a great point as well. We don't want anyone to feel, you know, we have lingering questions or anything unanswered through this process. So should be. You should feel supported, and, you know, taken care of, as you will, as a participant there. And this goes to coaches too, if our coaching application as well for those and you know, roughly 20 to 30 in age, and great if you've been a participant yourself, but not a, not a requirement. I wasn't. I came in as a coach and loved it and kept coming back. But, but that application is also on the website as well. I want to speak a little bit to the programming to make sure we do this justice, because I always found the programming was so thoughtfully put together. Um, it was comprehensive. It was holistic and um, and felt very relevant in ways that, I mean, I've been a part of different truck communities since I was a kid, and gone to conferences and things, camps and whatnot, I felt I got a lot of new stuff, like it was always fresh, it was interesting, it was it was timely, and I can always tell there was a lot of thought put into that, that programming. But just for listeners, I mean, you can expect to hear from from therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, on medical aspects of Tourette, therapeutic things like c bit, cognitive behavioral therapy as well goal setting. We've had nutritionists speak about like dieting and healthy lifestyles. Firefighters, police officers, you know, first responders. What do you do if, if you're in a house and it's burning and you have ticks, or you have all of that, teachers. I'm just kind of rattling through the list of some of the people that come to my mind. But a lot of it, I thought was, yeah, people I wouldn't necessarily, some of those like, c bit, you know, great to always have education and training in that. Others like, what do I do if I'm in a house fire or police officer pulls me over? And of course, I'm a little nervous, and I start taking some What do I do? Some of that stuff, I think is, is huge, because we often overlook that, or just don't have a space where we can address some of those questions. And I always found the programming was spot on with with like finding those areas and then building content around it. What are your thoughts and just anything you have to share around, around that, around, you know, the programming piece, yeah,

Melissa Fowler: 27:05

the programming, like I said, I think one of the things that's great is we've had a lot of changes over the years, again, responding to participants, coaches and even parents, feedback on what was most valuable. And so, you know, each year, I would say it's a pretty thoughtful process, and it's certainly it takes a village. It's not something that I'm doing alone or in a vacuum. We're all kind of making suggestions and brainstorming ways that we can keep the academy fresh, and then we're also making sure that we include or keep the things that are especially that we're getting feedback that's especially valuable, or, you know, for any of a number of reasons, either from a learning perspective or from a social perspective, the things that were especially valuable, you know, during those times. So it's one of the things I think, for me, personally, I look forward to the most, is thinking through the programming. And it's, it's the phase that we're in right now. And like I said, as we kind of map things out what the program might look like, we also do take into account who we're going to have participating. So it really depends a lot, too on the participants. And I can't say that it's always been the case that it was tailored quite so much to participants. But you know, as the program has grown and, you know, I think we've been able to expand our thinking about programming in that way and think about, okay, what's going to be best for this particular group. But like I said, really, I think the focus is on trying to maximize the balance between those three features right of making sure that there is an educational aspect to this and making sure there is a social aspect to this. And I mean, I think the education piece for me is always what I have my mind on first. So thinking through who might we want to bring in, we have had, we've been so fortunate to have so many great speakers. And like you said, you rattled off a lot of them, right? But like you know, having we have a couple of neurologists and psychologists who've come to be with us every year since the inception of the academy, and they themselves have Tourette Syndrome. So it's really amazing to have them kind of come back and share their knowledge, and even the thing that they share each time change. You know, they shift, and as they learn more, they share more, and they share different, you know, information with the participants. And I think that's really cool. We've had people who have expertise in education, or people who work in, you know, offices of special services, or Students Office for Students with Disabilities a college level. So people who can come in, kind of, you know, share what navigating and selecting a college might look like. For example, we had a crew come in and talk about how you do all of this, like, how you pursue even whether it's a part time job and you're in high school, or whether it's like a career post high school or post college. We've had people come in and talk about, like, what do I have to do? What? What's my How can I say it right? What? What are my rights and and what? How should I navigate the process as an individual, with tourists and. Room of applying for jobs. Do I disclose? You know, do I have to disclose? So we've really been fortunate to have such an array of expertise and thinking through what that's going to look like for the year, I think for me, is really exciting, and it's where we are now. Like I said, it's not done in a vacuum, and those are some really exciting conversations to have as we think through what it's going to look like, not to downplay the other important stuff, the social stuff and the, you know, the goal setting piece of things, I think that too is is exciting to plan and think through how we might really guide people in a way that feels personal and accessible to them in setting goals. You know, no matter how big or small those goals might feel to the individual, that they're valuable, and we want to really encourage that and set up a supportive environment where people feel like those goals are achievable.

Michael Leopold: 30:53

Absolutely Will there be a, I know, in some of the years we've had sort of a project the participants worked on when they had, when they had some downtime. And that's also evolved, because we want to make it meaningful for them, kind of meeting them where their goals are at basically to our listeners, that the participants will choose from a variety of prompts on some kind of activity to work on and produce some kind of deliverable, something by the end of the of the academy where that's a presentation, it's a work up art. It's a poem. It's, you know, a plan for how they're going to advocate for themselves after something that they built. We've had people make music videos and stuff, but that's also evolved a lot too, and I find that that's a way for participants to really make it meaningful for them and have their own development. But also it often leads to like, something tangible that ng CTS can use for publicizing, the Academy, for just awareness and outreach on Ts. Um, curious, if you, if we can give us any sneak peeks about, will there be a project this year, and kind of, if so, what your thoughts are around the form that I'll take? Yeah,

Melissa Fowler: 31:55

I think our concept of a project has shifted a lot over the years. So, you know, I think having those kinds of pieces that people have created, or participants have created as a result of being at the academy, has a lot of value, but I think we've really kind of tried to focus in on making sure that that has some personal impact for people. So for the past, let me think so. Last year, we did a vision board so individuals got the opportunity to sit and think through what their goals were, and then later they were able to, you know, kind of piece together. For anybody who doesn't know what a vision board is, is where you might find particular quotes or images or phrases that sort of exemplify what your goals are. It's almost like, imagine if your goals were already achieved, what might they look like? And a vision board sort of represents that it can also represent the process. So basically, what do I have to do in order to get to the point that I, you know, I'm hoping to get to? So, you know, I think that was the kind of the big takeaway for participants in this last year, kind of TBD, in terms of what the what that might what form that might take this year. I definitely always, you know, I think we're always looking for ways to keep this something that is that feels very personally valuable to participants, and that gives them sort of a tangible reminder and encouragement to reach the goals that they've set. So we'll see what that's, what form that's going to take this year. But excited to see, yeah, to see what it's going to be.

Michael Leopold: 33:28

I am as well. I also do want to speak a little bit to when we were talking about activities and programming, we do budget a lot of time for recreation. And I think something that the academy, you and the other, the other members of the team that designed this, something you've been really thoughtful about is, how do we make sure that time is valuable and useful for everybody and kind of meets them where they're at and so when we have rec time, there's often, like, three or so different you have a choice of how you can spend that time. We'll have a room that's more arts and creative. There may be, like, an improv activity there, or something with acting or coloring, or something more creative. There's a quiet room, which I often gravitate to, just to get, get my brain some, some peace and quiet and just, you know, meditate for a bit. There's an outdoor space with sports, you know, kickball, some kind of outdoor activity, and want our participants to know that, like, you know, that is something that that is, there's been a lot of thought into how we can help you feel, you know, relaxed, rejuvenated, in a way that that caters to who you are. And I bring this up only because I think I would have been that kid in high school that was like, Oh, I gotta go outside and play pick cake ball, but it's too hot, or like, whatever, like, oh, I want to go and do this, this other activity, no matter where you're coming from. And it can vary by the day. Some days you go outside, some days you go to the choir room, whatever. I thought that that was a really nice, thoughtful piece of it, that there was a variety of ways you could spend that time and structure around it, no matter how you chose to use that time. Yeah. Yeah,

Melissa Fowler: 35:00

and I think the number of recreation sessions that we have over the course of a day has shifted to since the inception of the academy. So we do make a lot of time for that sort of time to decompress, because I think it allows participants to feel more ready and, you know, able to focus on like, the times that we do have say a speaker come in and share, I feel like it's a nice balance against that. And really those, those different options are born from the fact that we've heard people say again and again, what helps them in terms of comfort with their tics or symptoms from their comorbidities? So generally, what we've heard falls into a couple of categories. And one is, I like to be doing something with my hands, or I like to be engaging socially. And so you mentioned sort of that arts and crafts or games or social room that people can choose from, and that really meets that need. We've had people who say, No, I need quiet, I need low light, I need the chance to listen to my music. And so that's the quiet room you were mentioning a space where people can kind of escape to and kind of get, get some personal time and clear their heads. And then other people say, Listen, I feel my best when I'm active and I get the chance to blow off some steam, run out some energy. And so there's always an option for that to happen too. Each of those times sort of has, there's coaches on hand for them for those times. But it's not necessarily a coach driven activity. It's more that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know plenty of coaches who are competitive as

Michael Leopold: 36:29

we get into the sports Yeah, and also the Yeah, the aim from and leading or working on that Yeah. No, coach, we love it as much as the the students do, yeah.

Melissa Fowler: 36:39

So they're, you know, but I think having those, those opportunities for people to step away from the programming you know, has been helpful, too, and we understand the the value in that.

Michael Leopold: 36:50

Makes sense. Makes sense. Well, that's about it. In terms of topics I have been looking forward to discussing. If there's any, anything else on your mind that you'd like to speak to, we haven't really gotten to,

Melissa Fowler: 37:00

yeah. Yeah. I mean, I would just say that, you know, we're always open to meeting you where you are. So if you are on the fence about applying, I would highly encourage you to apply. If you have any questions, like I said, I'm happy to have a conversation, and that would be for both teens, directly and for parents, because I know for parents, too, it can be a little bit daunting. The idea of sending a child to a college campus, right, who might not have had an experience like that before, will they be supported? How will they be with their tics, you know? Will they be safe when they're there? So I understand that feeling very much, and would strongly encourage anybody to reach out again via email at academydirector@njcts.org I'm happy to talk. And then the other thing I would say is we're accepting applications right now. Really, I would say we're accepting through the end of the month. I would encourage people to get applications in as soon as possible. Michael, you shared how you can find that application. You can find it through the website. And yeah, we'd love to hear from you. We'd love to have you. I would encourage you to apply. I can't tell you, and you know this to me, this is my 12th year doing this. And I would say by far, every year, the most rewarding part to me is hearing people who say, you know, this experience to me, was life changing, or this experience really gave me a sense of community and friendship that I didn't think I had. We just actually, you know, within the past couple weeks here we hosted the summit, the parent and teen Summit, which we do every year, at the end of January, beginning of February, and that's an opportunity for people to come together. There's some programming for parents, some programming for teens, Academy aged teens, and there's some programming for pre teens as well. And that gives sort of like a flavor of what a day at the Academy might actually look like for teens. And for pre teens gives a sense of what it might look like if you were to attend the academy. But it's also an opportunity, I think, for a lot of participants to come to participants at the academy, to kind of come together again at the midpoint in the year and get to see each other. And I love that, because what I see people you know running to each other with Big hugs and big smiles, because they're getting to see their friends again. And I like that. I like that. So many of our participants walk away with a whole new set of friends. You know, if it's so hard to explain to people, and I've tried to explain it to parents, but like, you know, all of our participants come together on Thursday, and then by Sunday, and like when they walk in on Thursday, there's a little bit of, right? You've seen it like, there's like hesitation and reluctance and shyness, and then by Sunday, everybody's, you know, hugging, and then there's day difference, yeah, to have to part with each other, I mean, like, there's so much shared experience and connection that goes into those couple of days. So, you know, I think it's. Been a real honor and a highlight of my career to be involved in this program. And you know, I'm really looking forward to seeing how it continues to grow and change from here. Love

Michael Leopold: 40:09

hearing that, no that that's excellent. And I will also add that this is global, so you can apply from anywhere. Thank you. Yeah, we have a number of students from New Jersey, where jcts is based, but not limited to that. We have students from around the country and also the the world. There's we have students from other countries that attend as well. So don't feel geographically limited. We we do welcome and encourage your your application.

Melissa Fowler: 40:31

Yes, absolutely. And I should mention too, the academy is free of charge. It is a free program transportation, unfortunately, is is not free, but the actual cost of the academy is and we do provide meals, and you know, of course, accommodations as they're staying in the dorms. So and yes, to your point, we've had people around the globe. We've had individuals from Australia, New Zealand and England and Canada. So you know, please don't feel like you have to be New Jersey based, or even the Northeast of the United States based. You do not. We welcome people from all over the country and all over the globe. We'd love to hear from you.

Michael Leopold: 41:11

Absolutely no. That's one of the exciting things for me, too. Going back as always, just meeting people from all over, I think, is a big you know, another big appeal of the academy, Melissa has been lovely having you on the uptick. Thank you so much for for sharing your thoughts and stories and telling us a little more about the

Melissa Fowler: 41:28

the Leadership Academy. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it absolutely.

Michael Leopold: 41:31

And to our listeners, I'm going to put the links for everything we discussed in the description for the episode. And again, the application can be found at njcts.org/academy, Melissa, if you if you have any questions for Melissa, you can reach her at Academy director@njcts.org and hope everyone has a has a wonderful day here. Thanks so much for tuning in. Thank you for listening to the uptick brought to you by The New Jersey Center for Tourette syndrome and associated disorders, empowering you to stretch the boundaries to live your best life. You.