KYLA Graduates Hear About Leadership In A Fast-Paced World
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Graduation came a year early for 23 local high school juniors - not from high school, but from the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy.
KYLA is an evolving organization that began with the purpose of developing leadership skills in the youth of the community.
As part of KYLA each student worked on a project and then gave a presentation April 4 on their volunteer work. Students worked with Heartline Pregnancy Center, Big Buddy, Elementary Library, Lakeland Youth Center, Our Father's House, Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services, First Steps and Teen Courts.
At the graduation dinner Wednesday, Steve Holbrook, customer service supervisor at R.R. Donnelley & Sons, was guest speaker.
He said as he prepared for his speech, he saw the KYLA advertisement in the Times-Union.
"I couldn't help think, 'What if my kids were in that. I would be very proud of them,'" he said.
His speech, "Leadership Skills for the 21st Century," detailed how fast the world is changing.
By the end of 2000, he said, no developed country will have more than one-sixth or one-eighth of its population in the traditional roles of manufacturing or distribution of goods. Two-thirds of all U.S. workers are in customer service. More people are self-employed now than ever before and most of them are in computer-related fields. The average consumer has more computer power on their wrist than the technology that existed before 1961, he said.
Because of all these dramatic changes and more, Holbrook said, there are 10 leadership skills needed for tomorrow.
The first is to be a quick-change artist. Secondly is to commit yourself to your profession, company and co-workers. Accept ambiguity and uncertainty. Behave like you are working for yourself.
Fifth, stay in school. "This is the one that is closest to my heart," he said.
Sixth, hold yourself accountable for all outcomes. Contribute more than you cost. See yourself as a service center. Practice continued improvement. And finally, he said, be a problem solver.
"Each individual carries a greater responsibility for themselves, their company and their organization," he said.
Tony Ciriello, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy moderator, presented the diplomas to the graduating students.
Ciriello also announced the two new at-large board members for 1999-2000. Every year, two KYLA graduates are selected to serve on the executive board. Those selected this year were Joshiekka Outlaw, Warsaw Community High School, and Sam Korenstra, Wawasee High School.
After the dinner, several students commented on the benefits and rewards of being a KYLA graduate.
"I thought it was very beneficial for those who'd like to be future business leaders," said RJ Wilson, Wawasee High School.
Wilson's community project was volunteering at Lakeland Youth Center. Korenstra and Paul Gilliam also volunteered at LYC. Gilliam said, "For all three of us, it was such a great experience to help kids go through what we all three did." He said he would like to return and help with LYC.
KEYS was the service project Katie Jones, WHS, worked with. She and WCHS junior Stephen Slaughter put together the guidelines for school principals to pick those children in KEYS.
"I think it was a good project for us to do," she said, "because we needed to set a standard for the new kids who came in."
The Amy VanLaningham Society was Kim Reuter's project.
"I think this project has opened my eyes to problems that I didn't know were there," she said.
With the KKK soon to rally in Warsaw, she said, she wants to attend the Celebration of Diversity Friday night to show that she is against racial intolerance. And it may be one step for her of many.
"I'd like to try to get into more things like (the Amy VanLaningham Society) in whatever community I'll be in," she said.
Our Father's House helps the needy and homeless in Kosciusko County. Lawrence Manuel was one of four students from Whitko High School who volunteered their time there.
"One of our former classmates happened to come in one day. I didn't really know him that well in high school, but it really hit home that someone I went to school with had (such) a problem," Manuel said. "It really hit home."
He said he wants to help out in the future as much as he can.
"I think everyone should volunteer some of their free time. If everyone gives a little time, it will help out a lot," he said.
KYLA 1999 graduates were: Sarah Ashton, Jason Bules, Emily Faulkner, Abigail Fingerle, Paul Gilliam, Nathan Haywood, Robyn Jernas, Katie Jones, Jeremy Klonowski, Sam Korenstra, Lawrence Manuel, Alisan May, Sarah McSherry, Liza Moore, Melissa Nifong, Joshiekka Outlaw, Sarah Pickens, Kim Reuter, Jennifer Rose, Rob Salyer, Seth Slater, Stephen Slaughter and RJ Wilson. [[In-content Ad]]
Graduation came a year early for 23 local high school juniors - not from high school, but from the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy.
KYLA is an evolving organization that began with the purpose of developing leadership skills in the youth of the community.
As part of KYLA each student worked on a project and then gave a presentation April 4 on their volunteer work. Students worked with Heartline Pregnancy Center, Big Buddy, Elementary Library, Lakeland Youth Center, Our Father's House, Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services, First Steps and Teen Courts.
At the graduation dinner Wednesday, Steve Holbrook, customer service supervisor at R.R. Donnelley & Sons, was guest speaker.
He said as he prepared for his speech, he saw the KYLA advertisement in the Times-Union.
"I couldn't help think, 'What if my kids were in that. I would be very proud of them,'" he said.
His speech, "Leadership Skills for the 21st Century," detailed how fast the world is changing.
By the end of 2000, he said, no developed country will have more than one-sixth or one-eighth of its population in the traditional roles of manufacturing or distribution of goods. Two-thirds of all U.S. workers are in customer service. More people are self-employed now than ever before and most of them are in computer-related fields. The average consumer has more computer power on their wrist than the technology that existed before 1961, he said.
Because of all these dramatic changes and more, Holbrook said, there are 10 leadership skills needed for tomorrow.
The first is to be a quick-change artist. Secondly is to commit yourself to your profession, company and co-workers. Accept ambiguity and uncertainty. Behave like you are working for yourself.
Fifth, stay in school. "This is the one that is closest to my heart," he said.
Sixth, hold yourself accountable for all outcomes. Contribute more than you cost. See yourself as a service center. Practice continued improvement. And finally, he said, be a problem solver.
"Each individual carries a greater responsibility for themselves, their company and their organization," he said.
Tony Ciriello, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy moderator, presented the diplomas to the graduating students.
Ciriello also announced the two new at-large board members for 1999-2000. Every year, two KYLA graduates are selected to serve on the executive board. Those selected this year were Joshiekka Outlaw, Warsaw Community High School, and Sam Korenstra, Wawasee High School.
After the dinner, several students commented on the benefits and rewards of being a KYLA graduate.
"I thought it was very beneficial for those who'd like to be future business leaders," said RJ Wilson, Wawasee High School.
Wilson's community project was volunteering at Lakeland Youth Center. Korenstra and Paul Gilliam also volunteered at LYC. Gilliam said, "For all three of us, it was such a great experience to help kids go through what we all three did." He said he would like to return and help with LYC.
KEYS was the service project Katie Jones, WHS, worked with. She and WCHS junior Stephen Slaughter put together the guidelines for school principals to pick those children in KEYS.
"I think it was a good project for us to do," she said, "because we needed to set a standard for the new kids who came in."
The Amy VanLaningham Society was Kim Reuter's project.
"I think this project has opened my eyes to problems that I didn't know were there," she said.
With the KKK soon to rally in Warsaw, she said, she wants to attend the Celebration of Diversity Friday night to show that she is against racial intolerance. And it may be one step for her of many.
"I'd like to try to get into more things like (the Amy VanLaningham Society) in whatever community I'll be in," she said.
Our Father's House helps the needy and homeless in Kosciusko County. Lawrence Manuel was one of four students from Whitko High School who volunteered their time there.
"One of our former classmates happened to come in one day. I didn't really know him that well in high school, but it really hit home that someone I went to school with had (such) a problem," Manuel said. "It really hit home."
He said he wants to help out in the future as much as he can.
"I think everyone should volunteer some of their free time. If everyone gives a little time, it will help out a lot," he said.
KYLA 1999 graduates were: Sarah Ashton, Jason Bules, Emily Faulkner, Abigail Fingerle, Paul Gilliam, Nathan Haywood, Robyn Jernas, Katie Jones, Jeremy Klonowski, Sam Korenstra, Lawrence Manuel, Alisan May, Sarah McSherry, Liza Moore, Melissa Nifong, Joshiekka Outlaw, Sarah Pickens, Kim Reuter, Jennifer Rose, Rob Salyer, Seth Slater, Stephen Slaughter and RJ Wilson. [[In-content Ad]]