Emily Shea ’15 | Staff Writer

Being a part of something during adolescent years can have a huge impact on the type of person an individual can become and what opportunities are presented to them; for Kelly Beardslee ‘15, she had experienced growth through being a part of Destination Imagination (DI).

The main goal of DI is to teach creativity and learn how to be a part of a team and have that team work as a team, Kelly said.

“It has helped with my problem solving skills, like thinking of different situations creatively,” Kelly said. “It has also helped be more confident in saying what I feel and speaking in front of people.”

The DI program encourages teams to have fun, take risks, focus and frame challenges, according to DI’s website.

Teams are also encouraged to incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) aspects into challenges, according to DI’s website. This helps members develop the skills to solve problems more efficiently.

Kelly has been a member for 10 years.

Kelly loved DI from the beginning, said Kristin Beardslee, Kelly Beardslee’s mom. She added that the skills required in DI were definitely outside of Kelly Beardslee’s comfort zone at first and it took determination to stick with it.

“I was on a team myself,” Kelly Beardslee said. “Then I also became the leader of a team that were 5th graders when I started, but are now 6th graders at Pierce.”

Kelly Beardslee’s role was to be a leader in terms of organizing ideas and hearing to what other people had to say, so her team could get things done efficiently.

A lot of the things that DI does helped shape who Kelly Beardslee is today, Kristin Beardslee said.

“She (Kelly) learned how to work closely with others, how to think on her feet, and how to express herself clearly and confidently in front of an audience,” Kristin Beardslee said.

DI has also helped Kelly Beardslee in the process of applying to college.

“I got a scholarship just last week at the state competition, I was awarded a scholarship for DI and there were only three given out so that was pretty cool,” Kelly Beardslee said.