Awesome Group of Teens Return From Rotary Youth Leadership Camp

If you ever hear of anyone talking about going to or coming back from RYLA, keep an eye on that student, chances are pretty good you're looking at a future leader in our community and someone who understands what teamwork is all about.

RYLA stands for Rotary Leadership Youth Award, it's a camp youth leadership camp for high school juniors hosted each February by Rotary District 5830. The RYLA camp focuses on building 8 core leadership traits in the students who are invited to attend from across Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma.

The camp is hosted each year at Clements Scout Ranch, in Athens, TX. RYLA is filled with activities from sunrise to well past sunset with students working within teams to complete a variety of challenges that push them to think outside the box, stretch their imaginations, grow as individuals and as a team, and recognize their own leadership abilities.

The leadership traits that RYLA focuses on are:

• Integrity
• Trust
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Planning
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making
• Self-Esteem.

The camp is planned thoughtfully each year by a board of directors made up of District 5830 Rotarians as well as RYLA alumni who have gone on to become Rotarians in their respective districts. Staffing is provided by Rotarian volunteers as well as select RYLA alumni who showed top leadership potential during their time as campers and have continued to exemplify the 8 leadership traits of focus in their lives and at camp.

Texarkana area high school students attended RYLA camp last weekend, February 11th to the 13th, they came from Fouke, Genoa Central, Texas High, Arkansas High, and Liberty Eylau.

Pictured above:
Juniors: Gabby Boswell, Jarek Bennett, Skylah Block, Helen Chen, Braylen Garren, Ja'Kayla Haynie, Aubryana Henerson, Thomas Herberg, Sam Hernandez, MaKenzie Lattermilk, Kiara Martin, Caryvon Morgan, Derek Murphy, Abel Silva, Harrison Vann and Nazaet Vasquez.
Seniors: Mariah Huntley, Tripp Wilson
Adult Leaders: Andi Darby, Laila Miller

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