Area Rotary Clubs send 64 students for leadership training at SGSC

Sixty-four students from Georgia Rotary District 6920 attended the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference at South Georgia State College recently. RYLA is a Rotary International program that started in Southeast Asia and has spread across the world. It was adopted by Georgia Rotary District 6920 in 1989, which is made up Rotary Clubs in the following counties: Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Chatham, Coffee, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Liberty, Lowndes, McIntosh, Peach, Pierce, Pulaski, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Washington, and Wayne.

Dr. Charles Johnson, SGSC Chair of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Physical Education and Associate Professor of Physics, is the RYLA Program Director and a Rotary Club member. “RYLA is one of the most important projects Rotary sponsors. RYLA is instrumental in developing the leaders of tomorrow. Attendees create life-long friendships and learn valuable lessons in leadership, business, developing positive self-esteem, conflict resolution, and other traits that translate into success in our global society,” he says.

In addition to attending a number of important classes pertaining to leadership, personal development, motivation, and communication skills, attendees were treated to presentations from three featured speakers. Thursday night, Mr. Gary Smith, the 2013-2014 Rotary District Governor, delivered the keynote address to kick off RYLA. On Saturday evening, Dr. Carl McDonald, SGSC’s former Vice President for Academic Affairs, addressed the group of future leaders. Andrea Giggetts, owner of Giggetts and Associates, a company that specializes in providing human resources, supervisory and managerial training, a speaker’s bureau, and corporate and professional training, closed the RYLA weekend Sunday morning.

SGSC participates in RYLA as a means of supporting and developing the leaders of tomorrow. The college’s partnership with Rotary to host RYLA is but one way both organizations can provide an avenue for youth to learn valuable principles of leadership and community consciousness.