Congratulations to OHS student, Ericson “Moni” Thomas, on being selected to attend the 2026 National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis in July. This selection comes following his involvement in the 2026 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Student Leadership Conference in Montgomery, AL, in April. The two-day conference included more than 30 students selected from across the state. 

Thomas, a rising senior at OHS, was nominated to attend the AHSAA Student Leadership Conference by Opelika High School Principal Kelli Fischer and Opelika Athletic Director Craig Montel. “We nominated Moni because he is a leader among his peers. We believe athletics builds future leaders, and he exemplifies that through his attitude and his positive influence on the athletic teams he is part of,” stated Coach Montel. 

When Moni found out he had been selected to attend the state conference, he was a bit surprised and very excited. “It’s an honor,” said Moni. “Now I have the chance to learn more about leadership and bring back the information to my school and my community.” 

During the AHSAA conference, the group participated in team-building exercises, and members described their leadership style. “I have always thought of myself as a servant leader. I like to be behind the scenes, but if I need to be out in front of a crowd, I can do that too.” Thomas said it was helpful to discuss different strategies with his peers. “You have to lead by example, and sometimes that means doing what others are not willing to do. You have to be willing to do those things when you are a leader. Starting there will inspire others.”

Moni said that he learned a lot about himself and about leadership and has already thought of ways to implement some of the ideas at OHS. “I want to have leaders of each team come together as a school athletics council. We can start with athletics, but it will go bigger than that. You have to be a leader throughout the school and the community. We begin by drawing people to athletics and then go from there.” 

Following the state AHSAA conference, Thomas was one of four students selected to attend the National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis this summer. When asked about being selected to attend the national conference, Thomas described it as a big honor to represent the state of Alabama at the next level and looks forward to learning more about leadership.

Thomas is involved in many activities at OHS and in the community. At OHS, he plays football, runs track, is involved in FFA and the German Honor Society, and serves as an Emissary. In the community, he is involved with his church, serves as a Dream Day Ambassador, and is currently enrolled at Selma University Seminary to become a minister. His future plans include going into the ministry and attending college to major in agricultural or environmental engineering.

“Watching Moni grow from a freshman into the young man and leader he is today has been incredibly rewarding. Since arriving at Opelika High School, he has consistently approached everything he does with maturity, responsibility, and a genuine desire to do his best. Over the years, he has developed into someone his teammates and peers naturally look to for leadership and guidance,” stated Kelli Fischer, OHS Principal. “Moni has earned the respect of those around him because of the way he carries himself each day, and we are extremely proud to see him recognized with this opportunity.”