Congratulations to the Rotary Youth Leadership Award winners for Mount Pleasant High School, Peyton Hein and Alejandra Ramirez! Peyton and Alejandra attended RYLA camp this past weekend.
RYLA (Rotary Leadership Youth Award) camp is a youth leadership camp for high school juniors hosted each February by Rotary District 5830. The camp focuses on building 8 core leadership traits in the students who attend from across Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma.
Hosted at Clements Scout Ranch, in Athens, TX, RYLA is filled with activities from sunrise to well past sunset. Students work within teams to complete a variety of challenges that push them to think outside the box, stretch their imaginations, grow as individuals and a team, and recognize their own leadership abilities.
Each camper who attends RYLA is selected through an application process that may vary from club to club. These Rotary Clubs then sponsor selected students by providing full funding and transportation for attendees.
RYLA scholarships are reserved for applicants who are in their junior year of high school at the time of camp, have shown leadership skills and potential in their schools and/or communities, and are able to attend the full weekend of camp.
Camp is planned thoughtfully 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.