Health First Grant Sends Viera High’s Michael Gonzalez to Ireland for Global Leadership Academy

Health First Continues Mission to Improve Lives by Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders

Viera High standout reflects on connecting with other young adults—and on preparing to lead in the future —thanks to a grant from Health First.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Sure, Michael Gonzalez has some cool pictures and memories to look back on. But it’s the advice offered up by Tommy Spaulding that keeps coming back to him.

“He said, ‘It’s not about you,’ ” Michael shared of the advice shared by Spaulding, founder of the Global Youth Leadership Academy (GYLA), held this past July in Ireland. 

“ ‘It’s about what you do for your community when you go back.’ That stuck with me.”

Gonzalez, president of Viera High’s Business Academy, spent his summer not just preparing for college, but preparing to lead. 

Thanks to a scholarship from Health First, Michael was selected to attend the Academy, a prestigious program that took 50 students from across the U.S. to Ireland for a week of immersive leadership development.

“I was over the moon,” Michael said, recalling the moment his academy director, Ms. Armstrong, surprised him with the news. “It was such an honor to be chosen.”

The GYLA program brings together high school students from around the world to explore leadership through heart-led values, global awareness and cultural immersion. 

The $8,950 sponsorship covered all the costs for this leadership experience.

Gonzalez, a student leader with a 4.4 GPA and a history of academic and extracurricular excellence, was nominated through Brevard Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

For Health First, it was an honor to be able to support one of Brevard’s brightest students in growing his leadership skills. 

“We believe that nurturing future leaders is essential to fulfilling our mission of improving lives,” said Paula Just, Chief Experience Officer, Health First. “Michael’s journey through the Global Youth Leadership Academy is a powerful example of how curiosity, courage and character can shape a leader.”

Michael, whose travels prior to Ireland were contained to the U.S., had to get his first passport for the trip. He admits he expected a rigid, business-focused experience. Instead, he found warmth, openness and an opportunity for personal growth.

“The staff and students made everyone feel welcome,” he said. “I learned so much about what I can still grow into. My expectations of myself were here — but I realized I can keep pushing them.”

Each day in Ireland was packed with travel, seminars and bonding. The group stayed in five different hotels across the country, switching roommates to encourage connection. Mornings began with breakfast and bus rides to cultural sites or leadership workshops led by keynote speakers.

One of the first lessons asked students to dream big — without limitations. Michael, who usually tells people he wants to go into advertising, shared his true dream – to work in film with his brother, who wants to be a director. 

“It was freeing to say that out loud,” he said. “It set the tone for the whole experience.”

A standout moment came during a beach day in Dingle. Meant to be a day of sports and fun, Michael started feeling a little homesick. 

“It reminded me of home — Cocoa, Florida,” he said. 

He and a few others retreated to a café and spent two hours in deep conversation. 

“We talked about religion, pop culture, everything,” Michael reflected. “It was respectful and real. That was my favorite memory.”

In a rapid-fire Q&A with Just, Michael shared that his favorite book is “The Outsiders,” his favorite movie is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and if he had a superpower, it would be teleportation — “so I could go back to Ireland.”

His healthy habit is working out, and his guilty pleasure is fried ice cream. And if he could sit on a park bench with anyone, it would be J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called “father of the atomic bomb,” for a philosophical debate.

And if he could write a letter to his future self? 

“Don’t forget to have fun,” he said. “You’re only here once.”

Michael’s advice to future leaders is simple but powerful: “Be your most authentic self.”

To learn more about how Health First gives back to the community, visit hf.org/giving-back. 

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