See how one CKI member turned learning into leadership.
When Jetta Briggs discovered the Global Leadership Certificate (GLC) as a Key Club member in 2023, she saw an opportunity to strengthen her leadership skills and earn a spot in the Master Class at the upcoming Key Club International convention. What she didn’t realize was how those lessons would continue to impact her leadership journey — all the way to service as a 2026-27 Circle K International (CKI) trustee.
Briggs completed the GLC in the summer before her senior year at Columbus High School in the Montana District. With the GLC Master Class on her mind, she completed all 40 GLC courses in just over one month.
“I was really interested in developing my leadership skills at that time in high school,” says Briggs. “When I heard about the GLC, I thought, ‘That sounds really interesting.'”
Since that first step in 2023, leadership has continued to be a major part of her journey. At Columbus High School, Briggs held leadership positions in her Key Club as president and club reporter/bulletin editor. For her district, she was tech master/webmaster. After joining CKI at Rocky Mountain College, she has served as club president and Montana District governor — and now as international trustee.
GLC at CKI
The program was so impactful during her first encounter that Briggs revisited GLC through the CKI version and completed all courses in less than one month.
One lesson, in particular, has stayed with her: active listening.
“With my personality, I always try to jump in and join the conversation,” Briggs says. “But I have learned how to be cognitively aware and thoughtful to stop and listen.”
That shift has helped her become a stronger communicator and leader, especially when working with people who bring different perspectives and experiences to the table.
Briggs also credits GLC with helping her understand that effective leadership doesn’t come in just one style. Lessons on strategic and detail-oriented leaders showed her that successful teams need both big-picture thinkers and people who excel at execution.
“It’s important to have both approaches because they can complement each other,” Briggs shares.
Another surprise for Briggs was a lesson on voting and civic engagement.
“It’s not something that you would necessarily think about when you’re talking about leadership skills,” Briggs says. “But it is something that’s really integral to being an active member in your community.”
Interaction with others
For Briggs, one of the most valuable parts of GLC is the opportunity to discuss the courses’ contents with others. GLC allows course completion in group settings — and Briggs encourages participants to complete lessons alongside friends or fellow members whenever possible.
“Those conversations help bring lessons to life,” she says, “and allow people to hear new perspectives and consider how the lessons apply to their own clubs and communities.”
Briggs also believes the program’s flexibility makes it accessible to anyone. Whether balancing classes, extracurricular activities or leadership responsibilities, participants can move through the courses at their own pace.
“I like that your progress isn’t stopped if you need to take a break,” Briggs says. “It’s broken down in a way where there are defined stopping points.”
Looking back, Briggs sees GLC as more than another leadership activity. It has helped reinforce important skills, introduced new ways of thinking and given her practical tools she uses often.
“Absolutely go through it”
While she found value in the program as an experienced leader, Briggs believes it may be even more impactful for members who are just getting started.
“If you haven’t had much or any leadership training before, GLC provides a really great framework and foundation for some very important skills,” she says.
Her advice for anyone considering the program: “Absolutely go through it.”
The certificate may be the goal, she says, but the real reward is the leadership growth that comes with it.
Learner challenge
Are you new to GLC? If so, we’ve got a new learner challenge in October that you don’t want to miss! Get started at keyclub.org/glc.