2023 RYLA Juniors Return Home With New Skills And Changed Lives

Future leaders in our communities have returned from the 2023 RYLA camp, keep your eyes on these young people, for they truly understand what leadership and teamwork are all about.

Sixteen juniors from eight area high schools recently attended the 28th annual Rotary Youth Leadership Camp, also known as RYLA, near Athens Texas for a weekend of leadership and teamwork building and challenges.

Juniors in attendance this year were:

Ely Bates, Slayton Batts, Gracie Pickens, Abbie Salinas, Jaquelin Mendez, Isiah Anderson, Anija White, Ashlyn Brown, Reese Townsend, Marin Bryant, Bella Roach, Caeden Carter, Caleb Parks, Jaslyn Castle, Cameron Gordon.

Seniors: Jerek Bennett, Gabrielle Boswell, Lillith Morgan

Adult Leaders: Jacob Carnes, Andi Darby

Ropes Course & Trust Fall - Canva

RYLA is a three-day leadership camp created and administered by Rotarians that develops leadership skills in high school juniors from across East Texas, Southeastern Oklahoma, and Southwest Arkansas.

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.

Congratulations to all on the completion of another successful RYLA camp that we know has enriched their lives as it has for so many before them.

RYLA 2023 - Andi Darby

Rotary International is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Find out more about Rotary here... RotaryTXK.com.