Annual RYLA Luncheon Showcases Campers, Scholarship Recipients
Pictured left to right: Amanda Messer, New Generations Co-Director Victoria Mendoza, Devon Spencer (Newman Smith), Michelle Dalton (R.L. Turner), Karina Zuniga (R.L. Turner), Jim Duffy, Jeffrey Hung (Newman Smith), Jamie Kim (Catfish Montgomery Scholarship recipient), Brett Proctor (Bill Innis Scholarship recipient), and New Generations Co-Director Pete Cross. Not pictured: Will Scherer
The annual RYLA luncheon on August 8th gave CFB Rotary members a chance to meet the students they sent to the much-revered camp this summer. Each camper had their own experiences and each took something different away from the leadership retreat, but there was one common theme heard over and over again: RYLA is a life-changing experience. New Generations Co-Director Victoria Mendoza introduced each camper to the Club, where they took turns telling Club members about their week.
Will Scherer, of Prince of Peace High School, said that while he took home with him many important life lessons from RYLA, the one that stands out the most is that in order to be an effective leader, you must first learn to be an effective follower. Jeffrey Hung, of Newman Smith High School, elicited a few laughs from the Club as he described his newfound appreciation for early morning calisthenics and the virtues of keeping a clean cabin. However, learning through teamwork how to be a better leader is what Hung appreciated most of all.
Michelle Dalton, of R.L. Turner High School, described her week at camp as the most amazing experience of her life. In her first 12 hours at the camp, Dalton found herself in uncharted territory, having never been put into a mix of complete strangers. However, she was able to open up to her fellow campers and they all ended up becoming close friends. Dalton's goal of the week was to learn to become a more confident person, and she achieved that goal by learning to step outside of her comfort zone.
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Devon Spencer, of Newman Smith High School, said she found the camp to be like a big family. She spoke about all the wonderful friends she made, and the activities they did together, such as the "Human Knot" and making up a "Cabin Chant". Spencer learned much from the week, but her biggest takeaway from the experience was the power of positive thinking, as she was able to successfully karate-chop her hand through a board.
Finally, Karina Zuniga of R.L. Turner, brought out a range of emotions in Club members as she jokingly told her story of applying and interviewing for her spot at the camp. Later, Zuniga became emotional as she described finally overcoming her shyness as she played the clarinet in front of 181 of her fellow campers. Zuniga came out of that performance confident, outgoing, and ready to lead.
After each of the campers had their moment at the podium, Amanda Messer introduced Jim Duffy, who thanked the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Rotary Club for its generous help in making this experience a reality for the children, as well as for the Catfish Montgomery and Bill Innis Scholarships. Duffy introduced the recipients of each - the first of which was Jamie Kim, who was awarded the Catfish Montgomery Scholarship. Kim, a Duncanville High School graduate, spoke about her own time in RYLA, and how she's been utilizing what she learned with RYLA at the non-profit she works for. Kim will be using the proceeds of her scholarship toward her college tuition this year. The Bill Innis Scholarship recipient, Brett Proctor, spoke about his first year as a RYLArian, and how he used that experience to bond with this year's newcomers. Proctor will be pursuing a degree in medicine at Texas Tech University with the help of his scholarship.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary International's leadership training program for young people. RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth, and aims to:
- Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth
- Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders
- Encourage leadership of youth by youth
- Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities