Atlanta Area Rotary Club hones leadership skills

One person whose face is very familiar to our newspaper readers is Vincent Wong’s. Yup, you see his face again! Vincent was one of the high school juniors who was given the opportunity to attend a RYLA weekend. RYLA is Rotary Youth Leadership Award which allows these students to spend a fast-paced weekend honing their leadership skills. Along with Vincent, Linley Butler represented Queen City HS and from Linden-Kildare were Kyleigh Abernathy and Logan Grandmaison.

In Vincent’s words: “A few weeks ago I experienced what I would consider the best leadership experience I have ever personally witnessed. Through this RYLA session I not only found friends, but I found myself again. The hundreds of people that I met there became my family for the weekend, whether I liked it or not. Some of these people helped me create memories I will never forget. They will permanently be a part of my life. The team I was a part of bonded almost instantly from the moment we met. Everyone was lively and spirited, joking around with each other, even after only a few team building exercises. We all knew our place in the team, ‘Arsenal’ was the main one speaking for the team, but there were many moments when others rose to the occasion.

One of my favorite teammates (Ricky Bobby) soon recognized his role on the team as the butt of the team jokes. Although the physical experiences at RYLA are amazing, it was the time with the team I treasured the most.

Those times in which we reflected upon our actions taught me so much, not only about leadership, but also how I could apply these lessons to my personal life. Everyone had such intellectual and sometimes philosophical things to say, and they all derived from our various past lessons learned.

These total strangers, for 3 days and 2 nights, took care of me like I was their brother, and I thank them for the trust and love they bestowed upon me throughout the camp. The mutual trust and the emotional bond our teams had, is what allowed us to be a High Performance Team. I can trust that they will be there for me, and they know if they ever need anything I will be there for them as well, because of the countless times I have trusted them from the moment we met until now. Our team was able to bond because of our differences in each other’s lifestyle and habits adapted to each other. Though the experiences were challenging, the encouraging adults that surrounded our team showed us how to control our emotions and overcome these obstacles, both physically and mentally.”

Look for amazing things to come from these four, as well as those who have gone before. RYLA is truly a life-changing experience that we hear so often.

When you read this, our club will have conducted an “Eclipse Run,” knowing we can’t catch the eclipse on Saturday. Come and learn more about us at Luigi’s the first and third Thursdays each month at 6. See you there!