What started as an assignment through KO’s Summer Leadership Institute for Nathan Sankar ’30 and Brendan Sills ’30  quickly became something much more: a chance to take a hobby they loved and use it to bring joy to others.

The instructor challenged the students to identify a need or opportunity in their community and, more importantly, act on it. Their final project couldn’t simply be an idea or proposal. They had to take meaningful action, involve real people, and demonstrate an impact before the program ended. “The project was to create something that would make a difference in our community,” Sankar said.

Both boys collect sports cards, so they began thinking about the cards they had accumulated over the years. Instead of leaving extras sitting in drawers, why not put them into the hands of kids who might enjoy them just as much? From that simple idea, Packs with Purpose was born.

The students gathered their own baseball, football, and basketball cards and created packs of 20 cards each to give away. They developed a name and logo, designed packaging, created a banner, and wrote a mission statement: to bring people together through sports cards, spread positivity, and make a lasting impact in our community.

But one of the most important leadership lessons came when their first plan didn’t work. The boys initially contacted Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, hoping to distribute the cards there. They soon learned that sanitation requirements made accepting the cards impractical. Rather than abandoning the project, they pivoted. They reached out to the Miracle League, an organization that gives children with special needs opportunities to play baseball. The response was enthusiastic. The boys met with a representative, shared their idea and their newly designed Packs with Purpose materials, and were invited to participate in the Miracle League’s opening day.

Sitting behind a table beneath a blue umbrella, the two handed out their homemade packs to players and families. By the end of the day, they had distributed 50 packs, 1,000 sports cards in all. For the boys, however, the numbers weren’t the most memorable part. “I thought it was a great experience seeing the kids enjoy the things that we’ve enjoyed growing up,” Sills said. “I think that all kids should have the chance to enjoy their passion, and that’s ours, so we like to share it.”

Along the way, the project required many of the skills the Summer Leadership Institute was designed to cultivate. The boys had to communicate professionally with adults, respond when their original plan hit an obstacle, organize materials, create a brand and presentation, and follow an idea from concept to execution. They said even writing emails and meeting with the Miracle League representative helped build their confidence and people skills.

The experience also changed the way they thought about leadership. They had entered the program believing leadership skills would help them succeed in high school and beyond. Through Packs with Purpose, they began to see leadership as something connected to service and making an impact on the people around them.

With packs still left over, the boys are considering another Miracle League event or finding additional organizations where they can distribute them. One even envisions Packs with Purpose eventually becoming an ongoing nonprofit effort, collecting donated sports cards and getting them into the hands of children who will appreciate them.

It’s an ambitious next step for an idea born during a two-week summer program. But it also captures the lesson at the heart of the Leadership Institute: Leadership doesn’t require having the biggest idea. Sometimes it begins with looking at something you already have, finding someone who could benefit from it, and taking action.

Their Instagram handle is @packswithpurposenbcards