Adelyn Hittle attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) at the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center in Colorado Springs in June. She made a presentation to the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs last week that was very impressive.
RYLA is an intensive leadership program designed to help students develop essential leadership skills while having fun and building lasting connections. This workshop, organized and sponsored by Rotary District 5470, is specifically tailored for future leaders in Pagosa Springs who are currently in grades 10 and 11. Selected participants attend an all-expense-paid, hands-on experiential program that offers a unique opportunity to grow as a leader. Participants connect with leaders in their community and around the world, enhancing their communication and problem-solving skills. They discover strategies to become dynamic leaders in their schools and communities, learning from inspirational speakers, community leaders, and peer mentors. The program also helps participants unlock their potential to transform motivation into meaningful action, all while building lasting friendships and creating memorable experiences.
This year’s RYLA in the Rockies program centered around the inspiring theme: Talk - Trust - Transform. This theme reflected the program’s mission to foster open communication, build trust, and encourage transformative leadership skills in students.
Students like Adelyn, who approach opportunities like this with an open mind, ready to learn, experience transformative changes. Learning to better understand their unique leadership style, their strengths and areas they seek to improve upon are powerful tools.
One of the stories Adelyn shared with the club was about soup cans. The participants were given various cans without labels and were encouraged to make a label that reflected how they saw themselves or how other people would describe them. At the end of the camp weekend, they burned up the labels they had created for themselves in the campfire, signifying that those earlier labels no longer constrained them.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is deeply committed to empowering the next generation of leaders. By offering opportunities like RYLA, we invest in our youth, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to make a lasting impact both locally and globally. This program is perfect for ambitious 10th and 11th graders who are eager to lead, serve, and create positive change in their communities and beyond.
Students who receive a RYLA scholarship are expected to positively represent Pagosa Springs while at the Rotary weekend. Students are expected to make a group presentation at the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and are also encouraged to volunteer for at least one Rotary-sponsored event.