HORRY COUNTY, SC -- More than 400 sophomores from 30 different area high schools gathered at Coastal Carolina University for the 4th annual Youth Leadership Academy Monday. This year's theme: 'XPRSS URSLF... The Right Way."
The one-day program is designed to help students recognize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, workplace and community.
"If they just took one thing, whether it's make your Facebook private or whether they were a team player when they do one of the breakouts, or one of our sessions is accepting others and accepting their opinions. So if they just take one little thing from something we'd be happy," said Blakely Jenkins, membership and community programs manager for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Students listened to keynote speaker, CCU head football coach David Bennett, watched a mock job interview, then broke out in groups to meet peers from other schools and work together on leadership and team building activities focused on anti-bullying.
"Over the past year, there has been a large focus on the destructive nature of cyber bullying, social media being used improperly and teens being bullied just for being different. YLA provides the opportunity to talk with high school sophomores about these issues and equip them as leaders to go back to their communities and become positive role models," said Jenkins.
A scholarship was given to a high school senior who participated in YLA during their sophomore year. Georgetown High School senior, Madison Cooper, will put the $1,000 scholarship toward her tuition when she attends Clemson in the fall. Cooper thanked the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for their dedication to area students during tough times. "Especially with the school budget crisis, all the businesses getting involved gives us, the kids, the opportunity to do things that right now would not be possible," senior Madison Cooper said.
