Youth Leadership Augusta had their Community Leadership Day at the Kroc Center
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Youth in the Augusta area met with local leaders to discuss how they can impact the community.
“Programs such as Youth Leadership Augusta provide them an opportunity to see modeling of what the appropriate behavior would be,” said Steven Kendrick, Chairman of Youth Leadership Augusta. “How leaders in our community work. How they give back to the community, and everything that goes with being a productive citizen.”
The program is designed to expose, educate, and motivate potential young leaders to participate actively in their community.
“They’re able to see what it takes to be a professional, what it takes to grow. What it takes to prosper in not only Augusta but also in the world,” said Rischa Sturgis, community leader at the event and Belair K-8 School assistant principal. “We do see things happening every day with our youth, but when they are able to see the positive that our youth are doing, they able to be the example and help others grow.”
Program members can see all that is here for them after they graduate.
“We get to meet so many different people in so many different careers. I mean, today I met judges, tax commissioners, people I would have never would have thought would sit down and have a conversation with, but because of Youth Leadership, I’m giving that opportunity,” said Denzel Howard, Member of Youth Leadership Augusta Program.
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They are able to realize there is so much more in the CSRA for them to do after school to be successful and great leaders here.
“I think our youth needs to see that there are opportunities here in Augusta where you can grow up and bring money into the city that you grew up in,” said Katarra Rogers, a Youth Leadership Augusta Program member. Because Augusta, most youth think that Augusta is boring, and they want to just leave and go do other things, and that’s okay. But it’s like you should come back and invest into your community what you got out of it.”
Through involvement in these program days, students will begin to develop and establish a leadership style.
“It’s a great opportunity for you to look at our community and see that there are opportunities for us in Augusta. You don’t have to leave and go to Atlanta to do well. You don’t have to go to Charlotte to do well or have to go to D.C. to do well,” said Emily Sternkopf, Member of Youth Leadership Augusta Program.
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